


Bittybones in need of a good home. You're providing it!

by Warriorstale001



Series: Bittybones in need of... [1]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Abuse, Adopted Sibling Relationship, Adoption, Alternate Universe - Bittybones (Undertale), Attempt at Humor, Baby Blue Bitty, Blankets, Brother Feels, Cherry BItty - Freeform, Cute, Family, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Fear, Feels, Fluff and Angst, Help, How Do I Tag, Hurt/Comfort, Ice Cream, Lil Bro Bitty - Freeform, My First Fanwork, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Other Bitties to be added, Platonic Cuddling, Protective Siblings, Reader-Insert, Recovery, Rescue, Reunions, Siblings, Towels, Violence, bitty - Freeform, reader is female
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-06
Updated: 2020-10-16
Packaged: 2021-02-28 21:22:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 16
Words: 66,164
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23033941
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Warriorstale001/pseuds/Warriorstale001
Summary: You’re just trying to get by with a demanding job where you get zero respect from your boss and co-workers when bitties are introduced into your life. You found some of them abandoned by cruel humans. They were deemed broken and useless and they were left outside to dust. Others you rescued from abusive humans. You just couldn’t watch them be hurt anymore. You soon went from a lonely human who hardly ever talked to anyone else in a day, to adopting and caring for your skeleton bitties who you never wanted to be separated from. You would do anything to keep them safe, warm and fed and they would do anything to protect you at all costs from other humans and threats. The world was cruel to you and your bitties, but that wasn’t going to stop you from trying to make the best life for themThis is a story about you and your bitties meeting and then trying to survive in a harsh city landscape where everything seems to be out to get you and your skeleton companions. Can you really promise them a safe home where nothing will ever harm them again?After all, who knows what might be around the corner...Arc 1 - Blueberry Muffin: Chapters 1-16Arc 2 - The Little Thief: 17- ?Arc 3 - ???:
Relationships: Bittybone(s) (Undertale)/Reader, No Romantic Relationship(s)
Series: Bittybones in need of... [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1708552
Comments: 397
Kudos: 406





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone welcome to my first fanfic for the undertale fandom which is specifically an AU all about you being a great carer to some lucky skeleton bitties!
> 
> First I want to say thanks so much for stopping on my story and for checking it out. With loads of great writers on this site especially in the undertale fandom, I'd be surprised if this story is found by anyone at all! 
> 
> The rating is teen and up just to be safe and I'll add characters as I feel like it. I currently know of three skeleton bitties that will be in the story and more will definitely be added later in the series. 
> 
> Special thanks to other writers on here that inspire me (there are too many to count :3 ). You guys are amazing!
> 
> Just want to quickly mention that this is definitely a found family thing rather than a romantic relationship kind of story, so if you're happy with that you've come to the right place!
> 
> And without further talk from me, enjoy the story! ;D

It was going to be one of those days. 

Your job was driving you crazy! You had to stay overtime for work. Again. Your boss had yelled at you over some stupid work you hadn’t had time to finish. Again! Your co-workers were acting like idiots and somehow got away with doing no work and you had to clean up their mess. AGAIN! You were so sick of your job and of other people. UGH, humans sucked! No matter where you went you saw how humans made a mess of the world around them. 

The only people you trust in your life currently are your family, but you live alone after you moved out a few years ago and you didn’t live close by to any of your family members anymore. You got the occasional call and you either visited them or they visited you occasionally, but you were mostly alone. Since you were an introvert and preferred spending your time alone in your small house, you didn’t have many friends either. Most days you felt lonely, but you ignored this and kept up with a daily routine that mostly involved you talking to as few people as possible. Thankfully your job allowed you to do this most of the time. It just involved you filling out paperwork really, nothing too complicated. Of course, this meant you didn’t get paid very well and had to work all hours just to keep up with paying bills, but you’d accept any job as long as you had a roof over your head.

Exiting the office you work at, you take a look outside the window at the front of the building and notice the rain is pouring down from the sky. You sighed. You had been told it would be sunny all day. Why did you ever trust the weather report? How many times had it let you down now? Too many times to count you suppose. The question now is do you walk home as you are in the rain and possibly get drenched or do you take an umbrella from the lost and found section to keep yourself dry? Sticking your head outside in the rain for a second makes your decision clear as you head back inside the building, where you make your way to the bathroom to quickly dry off your soaked head, before you grab an umbrella from the lost and found section that you know has been there for a while and brace yourself to face the elements.

Making your way down the street now you noticed many people around were sheltering in nearby buildings fearing the storm would get worse. The office you worked at was in a busy city and you lived around 10-15 minutes away from there, just outside the city limits. You decided you would try and take a faster, more sheltered route home today as you feared the umbrella would not last much longer in this weather. You normally would take a more out in the open route home as heading this way involved going through many side-streets and alleys that you would not be caught dead entering in the middle of the night. You know it’s risky, but you want to get home as quick as possible and your doubting many people would be out in this weather anyway, so you reckon your chance of being mugged is fairly slim.

Making your decision you turn down the first side street and continue down the many narrow streets, twisting and turning in different directions. The path splits down the middle once or twice and you rely on your gut instinct to get you home because screw taking out your phone and searching up your address in this weather. However, after a while it becomes blatantly obvious that you’re not as ingenious as you thought you were and you are now lost somewhere deep in one of the cities many alleyways, where if someone did attack you, the chances of anyone hearing your screams would probably be, well zero. Muttering a few curses under your breath, your steps come to a halt as you take out your phone and try to enter your password to unlock it. You don’t know why you decided to make the password so long but you’re really regretting it now, especially as your fingers are now so wet that the phone doesn’t seem to register anything your trying to do.

Yep, it’s one of those days.

Just as you are about to throw your phone to the ground in frustration, you hear something. A cry or a whimper maybe, you’re not entirely sure. You stop muttering profanities at the phone to listen and to see if you can hear it again.

……

OH, there it was again, it’s definitely some kind of creature whimpering in pain. Now you may not like humans very much, but by golly do you LOVE animals. You had always really wanted a pet your entire life, but there always had to be something to get in the way. Whether it was a family member being allergic or you lived somewhere with a no pets policy, life never seemed to give you your way. Right now, the only thing that stopped you from getting one is that you are always working and didn’t think you could give an animal all the love and care it deserves. Would that stop you from helping a creature in need right now though? HECK NO!

You discover the sounds are originating from underneath a dumpster nestled in the corner of the alley. Slowly, you make your way to the dumpster making no sudden movements and taking each step as if the ground underneath you is glass and may break at any time. You do not want to startle the poor animal into fleeing or attacking as this may worsen any injuries it has sustained. You believe it has noticed you as you can hear it’s breathing quicken and it’s trying to hide its presence by quietening its whimpers, which it’s failing at. The rain is still lashing down as you slowly crouch to look underneath the dumpster. You are still a few steps away though just in case it lashes out at you. You don’t really want to get bitten. You’re getting soaked, but you don’t really care at this point, you are probably going to get sick anyway from being out in the weather this long. 

Peeking under the dumpster you saw mostly black, until you notice two small, round, closely connected red lights shaking in the dark. You realise the creature is a bitty, most likely a skeleton type one and you can’t help but feel surprised. That certainly was not what you were expecting to find, though now that you think about it a cat or dog probably wouldn’t be whimpering like that.

Bitties are still quite a new thing to you. You had heard of these sentient, magical beings a couple months back and you were quite unsure what to make of them. When monsters first emerged from Mt. Ebott everyone thought the world was going to end. Until they all realised: “Hey they have gold lets make peace and exchange currency with them to get our hands on it!” Do humans only ever think about what will benefit them? You internally scoff at the thought, yes probably. Then bitties suddenly came about, with advertisements placed all around the city about adopting and giving them good homes. You had never seen one before, too busy in work to give the store a glance. It’s located at the other end of the city after all. Now though you wish you had gotten more information on bitties. It might have helped you in the current situation you had found yourself in. It’s clear that the creature cowering at the back of the dumpster is terrified and are those….?

Yep.

The bitty is crying what looks to be red tears. They are streaming down its face and it’s shaking badly. The bitty’s red……. eyelights? (you think that’s what they are called anyway) are quite dim and are watching your every move. Seeing this poor thing out in the cold with little shelter from the pouring rain, you make your decision. You’re not going to leave a creature in need! You’re not heartless after all.

“Hello there, little guy” you whisper in your quietest voice and yet the bitty still flinches. “My name is Y/n and I promise I’m not going to hurt you, ok?” The bitty doesn’t look at all comforted by your words. “Are you ok under there, are you hurt?” It whimpers louder, clearly terrified you have found what it thought to be a safe spot where no one could find it. It thought wrong. In fact, it isn’t a very safe at all you reckon, as you know there’s many cats that live around the city that could easily reach the poor thing under there. You hope a creature that small never has to outrun an animal. Don’t think about that now though.

You wonder what you can do to get the little one to come out of there. A peace offering perhaps? You search your pockets for anything that might help. 

……

Oh, you forgot you ate a blueberry muffin for a snack at your lunch break today. You didn’t really have time for anything else anyway. Your boss had come into the office while you were eating and you had put it in your pocket for afterwards, but the meeting had stressed you out causing you to forget about it entirely. The muffin you now hold in your hand is far from perfect. Its falling apart and damp from the rain that has drenched your coat, but food is food. 

“You must be hungry under there? I doubt you’ve been able to find good food around these parts. Here, I was planning on saving this for later, but you can have it. It’s a blueberry muffin I got from a place near work. I’d say your hungrier than me anyway”

Placing the muffin down beside you, you set up the umbrella so that it will protect the muffin and the bitty (if he decides to come out) from the rain. You then stand and walk back a few feet, you want to give the bitty space, so it doesn’t think your just going to grab it and take it off somewhere. You want to gain it’s trust first before you touch it.

The cherry watched the human with interest as they placed the muffin and umbrella down and walked away from them. He noted they left him enough space so he could safely run out, grab a piece and run back to his hiding place. Normally he might be able to use his magic to carry the food under the dumpster for him, but he was too tired and hungry. But why were they offering him food though? He didn’t deserve it. He’s a failure and doesn’t deserve anything. His old owners knew that too and that’s why he was out in the cold crying in the first place. He doesn’t think he can make anyone happy so why is this human bothering with him. They should just leave him alone like everyone else does. 

But he’s so hungry though and hasn’t had a good meal in a while. He has never had a blueberry muffin before and is curious. Even broken up like that it still looks delicious to him. Should he trust this human? He had heard of other bitties being picked off the street and being taken to “bitty fighting rings.” Many bitties dust there he had heard, so while he had lived out here, other bitties around the place told him to be wary of all humans. However, there’s something about this human that made him feel safe. Maybe it was her gentle smile or the way her soul radiates kindness and comfort. He wanted to get closer and the food was just too tempting.

Your smile brightens as the bitty slowly crawls out from its hiding space. You were correct about it being a skeleton bitty and your thinking it’s a boy. You reckon he’s about 4 inches tall. His clothing is rather simple and boring, a plain white t-shirt with black shorts. The red bandana he is wearing you find very cute though. You’re not sure what particular type of skeleton bitty he is. Maybe an edgy type? That would explain the eyelight colour. But weren’t they supposed to be braver and more vocal? You had heard stories of some edgys swearing at and biting their owners. Surely a scared edgy would lash out and bite. This must be a different type then. You did recall another type with red eyelights now that you thought about it but couldn’t remember the name. You know the answer will pop into your head eventually.

As you see the bitty in the full light now, your smile fades. He seems to be slightly limping, though he is trying to hide it from you. He keeps watching you as he inches closer to the food. A crack runs down one of his eyesockets. You try not to wince when you notice it. It looks painful. His arms also look bruised and battered. They are chipped and scarred. You realise this poor thing has been through quite a lot and you hope he hasn’t gotten mistreated by other humans. You’re going to be punching somebody later if that’s the case.

The bitty knows the human is probably judging him by his scars and he wants to cry. Nobody ever wanted a defective bitty like him. He was so needy and annoying and- Wait… The human didn’t look disgusted by his scars. Was that sadness he saw in her eyes? Did the human feel bad for him? Surely not. Still keeping eye contact he reaches out and grabs a big chunk of the muffin. He realises with sadness he won’t be able to bring the whole thing back with him without risking the human grabbing him for being too slow. He’ll have to make at least one more trip for that.

You watch as the bitty takes part of his prize back with him under the dumpster and begins eating it. Man, he is really wolfing that down you think as you watch the muffin disappear behind his teeth. How does that even work anyway, like where does the food go? Questions for another time you suppose. Poor thing was probably starving. Your kind of glad your boss had come in to yell at you now, otherwise you would have had nothing to give to him.

It looks like he was nearly finished with the piece now. He peeks his head out under the dumpster to look at you and you suppress a laugh. There’s a lot of the blueberry muffin on his face. It was adorable. He seems to be eyeing the rest of the muffin. You decide to take a gamble. You slowly shuffle forward until your sitting cross-legged right behind the muffin and you take the umbrella in your hand again. As soon as you start to move the bitty lets out a small cry and his head is under the dumpster again. You’re sad he still doesn’t trust you, but you are willing to be patient.

You try to call out to the bitty again. “I’m sorry for scaring you sweetie, just coming a bit closer ok” You place the remaining piece of muffin in your hand and hold it out to him. “Do you want the rest of it? I promise you can just take it from my hand and then if you need to you can go back under the dumpster if you feel uncomfortable. I won’t touch you unless you give me permission ok?”

The cherry is very conflicted. The human could easily grab him if he goes out for the rest of the muffin now, but something keeps telling him this human is safe. She isn’t disgusted by him or his scars. She had offered him food, which if he was honest with himself was the best thing he ever ate in his life. Even his previous owners hadn’t offered him anything close to it. Most importantly, her kindness soul made him feel comforted and the closer he had gotten to her while reaching for the muffin, the safer he felt. He could get used to being surrounded by that warmth. He decided it was worth the risk.

You almost squeal in delight as you notice the bitty is once again approaching you, but you remain calm and smile at the bitty as it walks back out to you. You notice he hesitates, but you keep your hand still. If he runs away, you’ll just have to keep trying, you weren’t going to force the bitty to like you. The bitty keeps eye contact with you as it reaches out and grabs the last of the muffin quickly. It looks like it might bolt off again which saddens you but your ok with it. Baby steps.

He had thought about running back to his spot under the dumpster immediately after getting the muffin, but something stops him from doing so. He didn’t immediately run away because he’s still too curious about you he realises, so he sits about a foot away from you and eats the rest of the muffin just as fast as before. His eyes never leave yours as he watches for any sudden movements you may make. As he finishes the muffin, you still haven’t moved an inch or spoken another word, though you still smile sweetly at him. He is really shocked you haven’t tried to grab him yet. It’s what nearly everyone did when they saw him and he didn’t like it very much. But you seem gentle and loving even though he barely knows you. He wants you to get closer and touch him. Bitties need either regular human contact or other bitties contact to survive and he hadn’t had human contact for a couple of weeks now. He walks closer to you.

Your surprised but happy at the bittys sudden bravery. You will let him come to you though and although you really want to pet him, you think this would be a step too far at the moment.

Just as his phalanges are about to make contact with your skin, several bones erupt out of the ground from nowhere cutting you off from him. At first you think it’s the bitty in front of you and it’s a nervous reaction his own magic had, telling himself to stop getting closer to you, but you realise the bitty is looking confused and slightly scared by what’s going on as well.

“Cherry, get away from them!” You hear a voice call from nearby.

Oh, right a Cherry! That’s what this type of bitty was called! The voice sounded like it was coming from the street you had just come from when you entered the alley. You saw a silhouette of what looked to be another bitty.

Except unlike the nervous one in front of you, this one was obviously looking for a fight.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I seriously can't believe people are even reading this so thanks for checking it out. Your kudos, comments and bookmarks really make my day
> 
> If any of you managed to guess the correct type of bitty I'd be seriously impressed because you'd kind of have to understand what I'm thinking for each character to get anywhere close.
> 
> What I'm trying to say is these bitties have been through some stuff and are going to act out of character (kind of my OC but I'll try to stick with certain original characteristics) for at least some time.
> 
> Just to warn you though this chapter might get confusing when it comes to perspective, as I'm trying not to outright reveal the new bitty type being introduced. Hope your able to keep up with what's going on. Next chapter the bitties will get names thankfully and it will be less confusing :D.
> 
> Hope you enjoy.

New Bittys P.O.V:

The new bitty was not having a good day either. In the 15 minutes since he had left the Cherry alone, everything had gone wrong. 

He didn’t want to leave the Cherry alone in the first place, since he had been crying and whining, thinking that he wasn’t going to come back for him. He couldn’t really blame the Cherry for thinking like that. He understands that Cherries even before they are adopted are anxious, teary, nervous wrecks. He’s seen how being abandoned by their owners affects other Cherries and this one was certainly no different. He had to leave him in order to get them some food though. They were both starving, and the Cherry could barely walk as it is. Even with his whining though, he knew this Cherry could survive without him for a few minutes though. This Cherry was stronger than most other Cherries he had come across while living on the streets. How did he know that? Well….

Others he came across were dust 10 minutes after he found them. Some didn’t even last that long, heartbroken after their supposedly loving owners threw them out like garbage.

Maybe that’s why he finds himself so attached to the bitty. He wants to ensure at least one Cherry survives. When he had found him, the injured Cherry had been pounding on a door crying and sniffling to be let back into his old home, claiming that he wouldn’t make any more mistakes and would be good now. Of course, his old owners had never answered the door and after a while of just standing there, he turned around to notice the other bitty’s presence. He had shared his food and story with the Cherry and found himself determined to keep the bitty’s hopes up. He found himself teaching the Cherry important rules and skills on how to survive in the street. The most important rule?

NEVER talk to any humans.

A rule he knows that is hard to keep for most bitties, including himself some days. After all, they need close contact with a human soul to stay alive, so bitties on the street usually had to find other bitties to cuddle up with during the night. Sleeping with other bitties keeps them alive but it’s definitely not the same as a human’s contact. But he just can’t trust humans anymore.

Not after everything they’ve done to him.

As he had searched the nearby streets and alleys for food, he had been chased by several street cats, got stuck in one of the bins when a piece of human trash got stuck between his legs, had a drunk human throw something at him when he was spotted after being too noisy in another bin and finally was nearly stepped on by other humans as he made his way back to the Cherry. His favourite (and only) blue bandana had nearly been ripped up on several occasions! And what did he have to show for it? Half a mouldy sandwich.

And finally, just to really complete his terrible day, a human is now talking to the Cherry he’s been trying to protect. Wait why is he getting closer to the human!? How many times had he told him not to go near humans? He thought by sharing his story with the other, he would help him understand why humans are not to be trusted.

Why did no one ever listen to him?

Why couldn’t he protect anyone?

Why couldn’t he protect **HIM?**

It was all his fault he was never going to see **him** again.

How could **he** expect him to be happy anymore without **him** by his side?

Why did he **sacrifice himself** for him?

Why? WHY?

**W H Y ?**

….

He shakes his head trying to stop the tears from coming. Thinking about that is not going to help the bitty in front of him. He can at least try to save this one!

He is not just some weak, frail Baby Blue like everyone thinks he is. 

He stopped being weak a long time ago.

Dropping the sandwich, he sends a wave of bones in between the two of them hoping he can frighten the human off. To his horror, the human only looks confused by the action and is still looking at the Cherry by her feet. Normally humans are at least a bit shocked when he attacks them, but this human didn’t seem the least bit concerned at all. The Cherry does seem scared though he notices, so he decides he should take a risk and call out to him. Sure, he knows the human will notice his presence but maybe the Cherry will run away then and they can hide somewhere else together? He’ll see what happens.

“Cherry, get away from them!”

Both of them look in his direction. He notices (with relief) that the Cherry hasn’t been injured in any further way than when he had found them originally. So, the human hadn’t hurt him then. Yet. The Baby Blue knew it was only a matter of time before the human would. He decided he needed to act now while the two of them were distracted. Using even more magic to create more bones as a distraction, he makes his way over to the Cherry grabs his hand and pulls him back under the dumpster. He knows that there is no way he can outrun a human, especially with Cherry’s injuries. If they approach the dumpster again, he’ll just have to use his magic to attack them and hopefully scare them off once and for all. Once they’re gone, he’ll search the area for a better hiding space and only when he knows that the coast is clear will he bring the Cherry to the new spot. A perfect plan even if he does think so himself. For now, though he’ll protect the Cherry from this human threat.

Y/n P.O.V

Wow, the new bitty was fast. You were amazed by how quickly it summoned more bones that forced you to back away from the Cherry you were talking to and then how he grabbed his hand and pulled him back under the bin. And just as you were making progress as well. The Cherry seemed to have wanted to touch you a second ago. You don’t mind too much though. This new bitty seemed protective of the Cherry and you find that adorable. It’s nice to know that they look out for one another. Looks like you were going to be helping two bitties today instead of just the one. Who said there was a limit to how many of these little guys you could help anyway?

Thinking about the new bitty who just appeared though, your pretty sure that it’s a Baby Blue type. The blue eyelights were a major indicator and you can’t think of any other bitties who had that amount of energy with those coloured eyelights either. But everything that you heard about them states that they are friendly, loud and optimistic and this one certainly didn’t seem to be like that. He had just attacked you after all. You’d definitely have to do better research on bitties after this.

Considering the new bitty is so willing to attack you, you decide that approaching the dumpster now would be a terrible option. The bones are quite small, but you certainly don’t want to be hit by any. You don’t know what kind of damage they could do to you. You seemed to be getting somewhere with the Cherry by just talking before, maybe if you do the same here you might get across to the new bitty as well?

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you. I wasn’t going to hurt your friend I was only offering him some food. He looked scared and injured so I wanted to help.” 

Two pairs of eyelights watch you from under the bin. One curious and the others are narrowed in distrust.

“Go away, we don’t need your help Human. I will attack if you get closer”

You really feel for the Baby Blue right now. He must feel like a cornered piece of prey and you don’t want to scare him any further by making any sudden movements. Maybe if you back off a bit? As you get up, you notice both bitties flinch and you can just about make out that the Blue bitty has his arm out ready to summon an attack if he needs to. What on earth had somebody done to these poor creatures so that both bitties are this terrified of humans? See this, this is why you can’t stand humans. You walk back a couple of feet to give the bitties more space and sit down again. You are absolutely soaked at this stage, but you don’t want to throw in the towel just yet. You want to show the bitties that you are willing to do this for them. That there is someone who cares about them.

“I just thought I should give you guys more space. I don’t want you to feel threatened by my presence”  
You could still see the bitties from where you now sit. Both of them are looking rather confused at your actions. Well at least confusion is better than fearing you.

You’re unsure about what your next course of action should be. Should you keep talking to the bitties or what? WAIT. THAT’S IT. It’s a bit of a risk doing this as you are unsure if the bitties will stay where they are if you leave for two minutes but you want them to feel comfortable in your presence.

“Can you two stay there for me for two minutes. I’m going to buy some things from the store. I’ll buy some more food for you guys and maybe a few extra supplies”

With your new plan in your mind you grab your umbrella and run as fast as you can to the nearest shop hoping they’ll have the things you need.

Baby Blue P.O.V.

Great they were leaving. But they were apparently coming back soon. He reckons he has 5 minutes to get the Cherry out of there before the human returns. Who knows what she could come back with? Perhaps she’d try to cage them, and he’d have to fight for his and the Cherries way out. He isn’t going to take any chances.

“Let’s get out of here quickly, before the human comes back. We won’t get much time, so hurry”

He grabs the others hand gently and begins trying to tug him away from the dumpster. But the Cherry doesn’t want to go anywhere. He is looking down at his feet which are planted in place and refusing to budge despite the others urgent tugging.

“Blue, I’m curious about the human. I-I don’t think s-she’s l-lying. Could you not feel the warmth that was emitting from her s-soul? It was practically screaming safety, comfort and love and I t-think it would be impossible to fake those kinds of feelings coming from there. Please Blue I want to stay and see if the human is genuine. I know you don’t want to trust humans anymore and that’s completely understandable given your background.” He pauses and looks up at the other making sure he is still listening and not angry at him for mentioning it. The Baby Blue is just stunned by the sudden courage the other is showing. “But I still want to believe that some humans are good and I’m willing to give this one a chance. I promise if anything goes wrong, we’ll escape together ok?”

He has to admit the bitty is right. He was ignoring the feelings that she was emitting from her soul before because he was scared, and his own panicked feelings were blocking hers out. A small part of him wants to trust the human. Deep down he still has the optimistic, open personality of any other Baby Blue. Deep down he still hoped and believed that anyone could be a good person if they just tried. That didn’t mean he’s just going to accept her though. This time he would listen to her feelings and decide from there what he’s going to do. If her feelings were as strong as the Cherry said they were then maybe there’s hope for some humans after all. He isn’t going to get his hopes up though.

“Fine, we’ll stay but if she comes too close or tries to grab us or anything I will attack her.”

The Cherry smiles and attempts to jump up and down in his excitement, though his injured leg makes it difficult. He grabs a hold of the Baby Blue and hugs him gently.

“Thanks Blue, I promise we’ll run if anything happens”

The Baby Blue hugs him back. He’s still anxious for the human’s return but the Cherry knows just how to get him to smile. 

No matter what happened he’d stay with him to make sure he stayed safe.

Y/N P.O.V.

After leaving the bitties you make your way back out to one of the main streets and head into one of the shops. You buy some food (mainly small snacks that you think the bitties will enjoy), blankets and some towels. Everyone stares at you as you pretty much cover the entire store floor in rainwater as it drips from the umbrella and your soaked clothes. As you pay for the items, the store manager gives you an extra towel for free which you accept. You’re not sure if this is out of the kindness of his heart or if he’s giving you a hint to get your drenched self out of his store, but you’ll take what your given. Thanking him and grabbing the bag with your shopping in it, you race out of the store again, getting strange looks from the other shoppers. The rain has stopped now, thank goodness. You run back down the alley and make your way back to the dumpster following your gut instinct once again. This time it leads you in the right direction.

Sitting down again in the same spot you were in before you left, you notice with delight that both of the bitties are still there. The Cherry is definitely looking braver and more curious and is that happiness you see in his eyelights? The other is clearly still wary of you and is standing protectively in front of the Cherry. After about a minute, you decide to break the awkward silence.

“Hey again guys, so I just ran to the shop and I bought a few things for you. If you’re hungry I bought some snacks, but I also brought towels and blankets to keep you dry and warm. Feel free to take whatever you want ok?”

Cherry P.O.V

The Cherry watched the human with interest as she pulled out a range of items from the shopping bag. He notices with excitement that both the blankets and towels are coloured red and blue. Red is his favourite colour! Also is that another blueberry muffin he sees? Yes, it is! He really wants his friend to try one. He actually still has a bit left over on his face, but he really wants another one as it had tasted so good. Probably the best thing he had ever tasted if he was honest with himself. He looks over to the Baby Blue with literal stars in his eyes begging him to let him go over. He knows he can feel the aura that she’s emitting from her soul. This is a good human and he knows it, he just wished the Baby Blue would let her help them.

He walks out from under the dumpster ignoring the other bitties protests and makes his way over to her. Even if the other bitty doesn’t follow him, he still plans to bring back something for him. But the bitty follows him anyway. He knows he’s nervous, but he is trusting that the Cherry knows what he’s doing and the Cherry is thankful for that. 

“C-Can I r-really take a-anything.” He doesn’t want to anger the human by just taking something and leaving straight away.

The human smiles at him. “Of course you can sweetie. Take anything you like.”

With that said the Cherry dives at the red towel much to the surprise of both the human and other bitty. It’s so warm and did a great job of drying his soaked clothes and bones. When he is done with that, he grabs the matching blanket and snuggles it close. He turns to the human with stars in his eyes. “It’s so soft and warm. Thank you so much.”

Y/N P.O.V.

That was the most adorable thing you had ever seen. The red coloured bitty in front of you now smiles up at you happily with literal stars (even more cute!!) in his eyesockets. Right now, you can only see his head, the rest is being covered up by the blanket. You think you are going to die from this cuteness. Yep this is how you would die, looking down at his adorable face still slightly covered in blueberry muffin. You struggle not to giggle at his cute face.

“You’re welcome. I brought some more of the muffin you enjoyed before. Would you like some more?” You turn to the blue bitty, who was keeping a close eye on you from a small distance as you interacted with the Cherry. “You can take things too if you like”

It seemed that the stars in the Cherry’s sockets got even bigger and brighter.

“Yes please! Blue you have to try some of this, it’s the best thing I’ve ever eaten.”

You placed the muffin carefully beside the red bitty and he didn’t even flinch this time which made you happy. You watch as he breaks the muffin in small pieces and holds it out to the Baby Blue.

Baby Blues P.O.V.

It really did look good and the human hadn’t reacted badly to the other’s actions so far. The Cherry had been correct as the human’s soul continued to emit a feeling of comfort and love towards the two of them, which is impossible to fake on the level the human currently did it on. They are being genuine with their emotions. He wanted to believe in them. They had after all just bought multiple items from the store for them, which included towels and blankets in their favourite colours. Everything screamed at him to trust them.

But he just couldn’t yet.

Still watching the human, he makes his way toward the Cherry, grabs a bit of the muffin and takes a bite. He can’t stop the stars that now are forming in his eyes. Wow, it was amazing and he had never tasted anything like it. “WOWIE, IT’S REALLY-” whoops did he just shout. Shoot he didn’t mean to. He hated how when he was excited, he would revert back to how he used to be. “It’s really good” he finishes.

The Cherry looks at him happily. He grabs the blue towel and holds it out for the blue bitty, which he accepts and tries to dry himself off with it. After sharing the rest of the muffin with the Cherry, he’s feeling satisfied. He almost forgot the human is still watching him. He’s amazed they haven’t tried to grab either of them. He’s just happy that he feels full for once, is warm enough as he is now wrapped in the blue blanket as well and that the Cherry seems happy.

Looking over to the Cherry though now he notices he looks nervous. He watches him stand up with a determined look on his face and make his way over to the human. The blue bitty drops the blanket he was cuddling and stands up, ready to defend the Cherry from the human should it come to that. 

Y/N P.O.V.

You watch as the Cherry nervously makes its way over to you. You notice out of the corner of your eye that the blue bitty stands up and is sweating as he gets closer to you. The Cherry stops at your feet and fidgets.

“Um, can I-I t-touch you p-please”

Aw, he’s asking permission that’s so nice of him. And adorable. “Of course, I promise I won’t move my fingers or anything and your free to break away at any point ok?”

“Ok”

You place your hand down with your palm facing upwards and watch as the bitty ever so slowly places one phalange on your pinky finger as if to test for your reaction. When nothing happens, he places his entire hand on yours and smiles. You continue to smile down at him as he rubs his hand against your palm. The bone feels quite foreign to you but nice at the same time. When he’s done with this, he decides to climb onto your hand, so he is now sitting in it, which shocks both you and the other bitty. He looks up at you with a kind of smug looking face as he just sits there. You keep as still as possible not wanting to frighten him.

“Blue! Her hand is so soft and comfortable to sit in!” You want to laugh at the bitty's words. He is clearly quite happy just sitting there.

The other bitty seems to be looking up at you with hopeful eyelights now. Maybe he trusts you more as you haven’t attacked his friend yet. He edges closer to you. You place your other hand nearby so he can also explore it as well if he wants to, but you’re not sure if he’s that trusting of you yet.

“What do you want from us?”

The blue bitty practically mumbles the question as he looks down at his feet. You’re quite confused at the question. Why would you want something from them?

“I just want to help you guys. You seem hungry, cold and injured and I thought I’d offer some assistance, maybe I can even offer you guys a place to live as well.” He looks offended at this. “Only if you want to though that is. I’d be able to take both of you home to live with me if you wish. I can get you some food, clothes and other essentials you may need, with no strings attached. If not, I’ll leave you alone, but I may pop back from time to time with more supplies to give to you. I just can’t stand by when there’s somebody in need.”

The Baby Blue is now centimetres away from your fingers. He looks like he is really struggling to decide whether he wants to trust you or not. Your heart really goes out to the bitty. He begins to outstretch his hand but pauses. You’re internally urging him to trust you, telling him that you will care for him and his friend with all you have, that he can trust you. The bitty looks up at you and into your eyes as he places his phalanges onto your hand. You watch as he pretty much follows the same procedure of the Cherry of rubbing and testing your hand before ever so slowly, he climbs into it. The Cherry encourages him the entire time.

So now you find you have two bitties in your hand staring up at you curiously with wide eyesockets. This certainly wasn’t how you had expected the day to go down when you had woken up this morning. You were so glad you stumbled into this alley accidently.

“Let’s start over then shall we you two? My name is Y/N and it’s a pleasure to meet you. Would you like to come home with me? I can promise a safe, warm place to live and I can provide you with all your needs. If it makes you more comfortable, I can keep the doors and windows unlocked so you can leave at any time if you feel threatened ok?”

The Cherry looked excited but nervous by this. “Can we really? Are you sure that’s ok? I mean I’m sure there are b-better bitties out there than me. I-I k-keep mes-messing up and I…. I-” 

All of a sudden the bitty starts crying red tears into the palm of your hand. Using your thumb, you gently stroke the bitties back in a comforting gesture.

“Hey, hey, shh, it’s ok. Whatever any other humans may say you’ll always be one of my favourite bitties no matter what. Please don’t cry anymore, I promise that I won’t let any mean humans say nasty things to you or hurt you anymore ok? If anyone says anything mean to you ignore them because what they say isn’t true ok? You’re an amazing bitty with a great personality and loads of people would love to adopt you I’m sure.” 

The Cherry’s crying had now been reduced to sniffling and hiccups thanks to your little speech as he cuddled your hand and looked up at you. “D-do you really mean that?” What had people been telling this bitty that made him think that he wasn’t as good as other bitties.

“Of course I mean it!” You want to comfort him better.

“Can I hug you. I’ll be gentle I promise”

He nodded and you gently scoop him up so you’re holding him against your chest. The bitty clings to your shirt like a lifeline and lets out a few shaky breaths.

“Thank you”

“Your welcome. Do you want to come down now?” He shakes his head and climbs up so that he is now sitting on your shoulder and playing with your hair. He is clearly fascinated by it. You giggle. “Well ok then”

The other bitty remained quiet as he watched the whole exchange between you and the Cherry. He’s still sitting in your palm but gets up when he sees the other bitty now standing on your shoulders. He quickly climbs onto your shoulder as well and joins the other bitty there.

“Looks like Cherry has made up his mind and is going with you so I’m coming too. But listen, if you try anything like hurting one of us then you’ll be in for a bad time, understand?”

Wow, this cute bitty could be surprisingly threatening when he wanted to be. His eyelights had completely gone out when he said that to you and it was a bit frightening you had to admit.

“I understand, if you feel uncomfortable up there at any time then tell me to stop. In fact, if I do anything at all that makes you feel threatened your free to defend yourselves and attack me ok?”

The Baby Blue looked confused but satisfied at this answer and nodded in confirmation.

Gathering up the stuff you bought and placing them back in the bag, you begin walking home with two bitties clinging onto you tight.

You really hope now you could give these bitties a life they deserved in a loving environment. You know things will be difficult in the first few days but you hope they will fully trust you one day.

This is a new beginning for you and your bitties!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> "A Baby Blue!?" I hear some of you cry. "He certainly isn't acting like one. Where's the optimistic personality they're supposed to have?" As I've said, I'm trying to make the characters slightly different but still connect to their origins in some way. 
> 
> Also I think it's obvious he has a few issues that will take some time for you to fix.
> 
> I hope the chapter doesn't seem rushed to you guys. I have the next couple of chapters thought out and I didn't want the reader to be stuck in the alley with the bitties for 10 chapters so I was like 2 chapters and that's it. 
> 
> So what do you think. If you enjoyed please leave a kudos or comment. I really enjoy reading and responding to comments and I promise I'll get back to you as soon as I can
> 
> See ye in the next update.......  
> Or maybe sooner somewhere else? ( ･ิω･ิ)  
> I might have something planned..
> 
> Enjoy your day/night


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I somehow had time to work on another chapter of this. Sorry for the wait.
> 
> And we finally get names for our two bitties Yay! (they're not very original and I'm sorry for that)
> 
> I have no idea how long this is but I'd say it is pretty long. There was a lot I wanted to get through this chapter.
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

Y/N P.O.V

Coming out of the alley now you make your way through the city streets, the two bitties clinging onto your shoulder tightly. You keep your head down and walk quickly as you pass multiple people going about their day. Some give you and the bitties curious looks, but they stay out of your way. You notice as well that hardly anyone is bumping into you by accident either which you feel grateful for. Perhaps it’s because the blue bitty growls ferally at anyone who comes within touching distance of you, giving them a bit of a fright. You probably shouldn’t encourage him for this behaviour, but you couldn’t really complain at the moment. Perhaps you’d say something when they trusted you more, but honestly it was nice to not get pushed around the street for once. You were going to make it home in record time!

Reaching the edge of the city, you find yourselves at the little white gate that marks the entrance into your humble abode. You’ve got a small front and back garden where you grow flowers and sometimes even fruit and vegetables during the spring and summer months. The house itself is two-storeys high and is painted white with a red tiled roof. It's quite plain in your opinion but you aren’t really trying to stand out on a busy street with several other houses painted just like it. You’re fine with the way it is.

Still standing outside the gate you gesture to the house in front of you for the bitties to see. “Well you guys, here we are. Home sweet home.” You open the gate and walk into the garden, you pause to let them get a decent look at everything.

“Wow a garden!” The Cherry is really excited and hops up and down on your shoulder excitedly. “Look at all the beautiful flowers and- OH MY STARS A BUTTERFLY!!!” A little yellow butterfly had entered your garden and had been busily inspecting your rose bush when the Cherry had spotted it “Yep I get a lot of them flying about the place and they come in all different shapes, sizes and colours” You all watched it fly about the place before it fluttered up and landed on the blue bitty’s face, confusing him greatly. You let out a laugh. “I think it likes the blue colour of your eyelights. They're a really beautiful shade of Blue” 

With that said the bitties face flushes into a bright blue colour. Wait. Is he blushing? Aw he is, he’s looking really embarrassed as he shoos the butterfly off and hides his skull between his hands, the Cherry laughing the entire time at him. After pouting for a bit, he joins in on the others laughter as they sit on your shoulder just enjoying each others company. You're really excited to show them around your home. “So, should we head inside?”

The blue bitty immediately stiffens and begins sweating again. You frown as you feel like you’ve ruined a special moment between the two. You wonder what you can do to make them both more comfortable in your presence and in your home. Well for starters you’re going to keep your end of the deal. “Do you guys want to explore the garden a bit while I go open all the windows and doors in my house? I don’t want you to feel trapped in there.”

“Ok” the Cherry says while the Baby Blue just nods. You place your hand against your shoulder and wait for the bitties to climb on. When they are both sitting snuggly on your hand you carry them over to the flowerbed and place them down gently next to some of the flowers. You know they’ll be safe enough in the garden. “Thanks guys, I’ll be back out in three minutes”

And with that said you run inside the house. 

Baby Blue P.O.V.

“Hey Blue look at this one, isn’t this shade of red so pretty”

The blue bitty watches the Cherry happily as he explores the garden, investigating every plant pot and bush he could find. From time to time, he could see you opening all the windows in the house, wide enough so the two bitties could easily escape if they needed too.

Why were you going to so much trouble to make him feel comfortable? Did you care about them that much already? He certainly didn't understand you at all right now.

You seemed to have been nervous around the city and he had noticed whenever he growled at people who had gotten too close to him and the Cherry for comfort, your soul had relaxed and had called out to his in gratitude as if to say thanks. Did you not like other humans either? 

Also the way you had complimented his eyelights had really caught him off guard earlier. He was sure you had seen his face blush into a bright blue at that but was glad you hadn't commented on it. You certainly are one curious human though, that's for sure. He actually realises he does want to get to know you a little bit more, even though you are a human.

It seems you are finished with the task now as you make your way back over to them. "Ok every window has been opened wide so if you feel uncomfortable you can leave at any time. If there's anything else I can do to make you more comfortable please let me know"

He nods once again in acknowledgement while the Cherry promises that he will let her know if there are any problems.

You kneel down on the grass and hold out your hand expectantly. The Cherry is quick to climb on while the blue bitty does so slowly. He still isn't used to human contact.... 

Well, perhaps he should rethink that sentence.

He isn't used to human contact that doesn't involve him ending up in pain after they're done with him.....

You hadn't tried anything so far though and you were doing your best to make him feel safe in your home, which he appreciates.

Still though as you make your way to the front door he gets butterflies in his non-existent stomach. What had **he** always said he should do when he was about to panic? Oh yeah! Deep breaths. In and out. In and out. He's going to trust you for now. If anything goes wrong he would just take the Cherry and run. 

As you open the door, you send more messages of comfort from your soul to him, helping him to relax. He really hopes this is going to work out for him and the Cherry. 

If it didn't, he didn't think he could ever believe in a human ever again.

Y/N P.O.V.

"Welcome to your new home boys, what's mine is also yours now! I'll give you a quick tour of the house and then I can make you guys a proper lunch as you must be starving. For starters this is the hallway and to your right you can see the stairs leading to the second floor where my room is located. You're free to explore any room you'd like and you can decide where you'd like to stay as well. Tomorrow we can head into the shopping centre to buy you guys a house and other essentials you may need"

You spent the next hour guiding the bitties around their new home and showing them the escape routes and places where they could hide from you if they needed space. You also show them your favourite spots around the house, where you would spend most of your time in.

For the entire tour the Baby Blue stayed quiet, silently taking everything in as he looked around. He sits next to the Cherry, who is currently squeezing his hand tightly in support. Using his other hand, the Cherry excitedly points at literally everything in your house and asks you plenty of questions, making you giggle. You answer all of them to the best of your ability.

You end the tour at the kitchen, explaining where the food and all the different cooking utensils are being kept. You inform them that they are allowed to take food out of the pantry at any time. They didn't need to ask permission for anything in the house as far as you were concerned. You mention how in your free time you like to experiment with ingredients to try and create new exciting meals you can enjoy and how this is a particular favourite hobby of yours. You notice that the Baby Blue seems to perk up slightly at this statement, but doesn't comment on it.

You place the bitties down on the countertop and as you begin working on sandwiches the three of you will be eating for lunch you decide to bring up a topic you had been thinking about on the tour.

"Do you guys want names, like proper ones? I think it would be bad if I just called you Baby Blue or Cherry the entire time you live here. I think your names deserve to be more unique like you guys, but what do you think?"

Cherry P.O.V.

Did you really care that deeply for them already that you were already thinking about names for them? This was the best day ever! But, did he really deserve one though? His old owner hadn't given him a name saying he had to 'earn it.' Was it not the same here?

"Are you sure? I don't think I'm special enough to deserve a name" he whispers sadly, head down.

You stop making the sandwiches and stare down at him. Did, did he say something wrong? He can feel anger coming from your soul. He begins to shake as you continue to frown down at him. "I'm s-sorry, I didn't mean to t-talk b-b-back I, I just-"

You bend over so you are looking directly into his eyelights. He tries to avoid eye contact by hiding his head in his hands. He should have known this was coming. His old human had hated him talking back to her and would often get violent if he didn't stop talking. She had said that a quiet bitty was a well-behaved one, so he tried to keep his mouth shut while around her. Why did he think you'd be any better? He braced for the pain that was to come.

"Cherry sweetie, can you look me in the eyes please, I need you to know that what I'm about to say is the truth and you can trust my word on it." He slowly takes his hands away from his face as tears fill his eyesockets. This is going to hurt isn't it.

"Cherry, you are a very special bitty along with the Baby Blue over here." He looks to the Baby Blue who is extremely tense at the moment, he looks just about ready to attack you if you decide to lay a finger on him. "I have only known you for a small amount of time, but I can already tell both of you have amazing personalities that I love and adore. I want to give you names to show off how unique and amazing you are. I don't want you to ever believe you're not worthy of something because you are ok?" You smile gently at him and give him an encouraging rub on his skull. "Don't let any other humans tell you otherwise."

You look off to the side darkly. "I can tell bad humans are the reason you two act like this. I won't force you to tell me your history with any other humans you've interacted with but I want you to know that I will NEVER hurt you. I want to keep you safe from bad humans like them. I'm sorry for their actions. Humans like them disgust me. They always hurt others who they think are beneath them" You look between him and the blue bitty now. "But I will never treat you that way. You'll be treated as equals in this house and when we're out and about. And if I ever break that promise to you guys...... I don't think I could ever forgive myself."

Baby Blue P.O.V

He was in pure shock. The amount of emotions you went through during that speech was amazing. He had felt quite a bit of anger, sadness and regret coming from your soul, but not directed at them. You were apologizing to them for the actions of other humans. But why? You didn't need to do that for them. It isn't your fault that there are bad humans out there. Their actions had nothing to do with you. He's so confused. Why are you being so nice to them? Also you want to treat them as equals? Most people just saw them as pets for their own entertainment and amusement. Why do you think differently? To be treated equally? This is way too good to be true in his opinion. He must be dreaming right?

Apparently not.

He watches as the Cherry's eyelights become stars again as he cries tears of joy.

"Thank you so much, Human Y/N. I-I want to believe that I'm special too. Thank you for telling me that, but you don't need to apologise for the other humans behaviour. That is in the past now and nothing will change it. I'm just glad you want to treat us so nicely and to give us a place to stay and everything. I will gladly accept any name you give me."

The blue bitty is still too overwhelmed to speak so he just nods.

You smile warmly at the two.

"Ok, so here's what I was thinking." You turn to the Cherry first. "How about the name 'Berry' for you sweetie, since you seemed to love the muffin I gave you before. Because sharing that with you was our first bonding moment and I always want to remember that." 

The newly dubbed Berry seems very happy by this choice. He still continues crying tears of joy as he climbs up your arm and onto your chest and begins clinging onto you tightly in a hug. "Oh thank you! Thank you Human Y/n. I LOVE IT!!! I will cherish my new name forever, from now on everyone will call me Berry"

"I'm glad you like it, Berry." He beams at being called by his new name, and the Baby Blue is glad his friend is so happy.

"Um Human.... Can I ask you something" You turn to look at him. "Of course and you can just call me Y/N if you would like, OK?"

"Can I just be called Blue, I like the simplicity of it and I've been called it my whole life and I don't want it to change really." He thought he should let you know of his preference though he wasn't sure if you'd care about it or not. Lots of other bitties had referred to him by the name, including the Cherry and other important ones that he had cared about. He didn't want to forget about them...... Or **him.**

"OK Blue it is! Welcome Blue and Berry to your new home. I just realises that those names together spells Blueberry. How perfect! Now we'll always remember how we met over sharing some Blueberry muffins!"

Blue let out a sigh in relief. He's glad you respect his decision and you're happy with it. He also likes how his and Berry's name spell something meaningful to you together. It means they'll always have a special connection. Maybe he could finally try to relax a little now and be happy with Berry and maybe even you by his side? He feels more at peace now then he ever has before. It feels nice

Y/N P.O.V

Satisfied with the names you have come up with for your bitty companions you finish making the sandwiches and you all sit down at your small table to eat. You plan on also checking out Berry's injuries but you'll deal with that later when they are a bit more adjusted to you and the house.

Its already quite late in the day when you finish eating, so you decide to bring the pair over to your couch and you settle back and watch some TV. You give Berry the remote and you laugh as he continually switches channels in his excitement. It's their first time using one after all. You're not really sure what he picks in the end as you begin to drift off for a bit. You're exhausted from your day at work and you need to rest. You're just about to fall asleep when you feel a small pat at the side of your face. You open your eyes to see both bitties are standing on your chest now, looking at you worriedly. "Y/n are you alright? Are you sick? Do we need to get you anything or?" Berry asks you, concern evident in his voice.

They were worried about your wellbeing already?That is so sweet of them to offer to get you something as well but your fine. "It's really nice of you to offer but I'm fine, I'm just tired after work is all. This happens quite often. Don't be worried if I just fall asleep from time to time on the couch after work, I'm fine promise."

They look relieved and although you begin to nod off again you notice that neither bitty move away from your chest, they continue to sit there whispering about whatever cartoon they've found on the television. You're really glad they seem to trust you now and that they're respectfully being quiet and letting you sleep in peace.

After sleeping a small while, you decide you should probably move to your bed to get a proper nights sleep. You're relieved that tomorrow is Saturday and so you have the weekend to help the bitties settle in and to buy them stuff. But before that.... You look down at the red bitty still relaxing on your chest.

"Berry, do you mind if I take a quick look at your leg. I hope it isn't causing you too much pain. Is there anything I can do to help fix it or to make you more comfortable"

Berry P.O.V.

His leg? Now that he thought about it, it's kind of painful. He hopes it's not too badly damaged. He doesn't want you thinking he's useless or broken.

Blue speaks up from beside him. "I think it can be healed using monster candy. Do you have any?"

You look as if you're thinking for a moment before shaking your head. "Unfortunately I don't have any and all the shops will be closed at the moment, but tomorrow we'll go and buy some first thing. Would you like me to bandage it? I promise I'll be gentle.

He nods and they both climb down as you get up to search for bandages. You come back quickly and begin wrapping it around his leg, whispering comforting words to him while doing so. He relaxes at your soothing voice, his leg feeling better already.

"Thank you, it feels a bit better now." You offer the two your hand. "Great, let's head up to my room and we can arrange where you can sleep for tonight"

Blue and Berry clamber on and you climb up the stairs to your room. "Since I haven't bought you a house yet feel free to sleep anywhere you want in the room. I know bitties sleep on people in most homes and if your comfortable enough to do that you can though I may toss and turn. However, if you prefer to sleep elsewhere for tonight that is also fine. Whatever makes you feel safest."

Berry feels comfortable enough to sleep on you but notices that Blue is not so keen on this idea. This is still too new to him after all. He looks towards his friend as he speaks. "Perhaps for the night we can sleep at the end of the bed" There was enough space for them to sleep there. 

They've been sleeping on the street so any kind of soft material they could sleep on is going to feel heavenly.

"Sure thing, if your both OK with that" You grab extra blankets in their favourite colours and place them at the end of the bed. "I need to change into some PJs and clean myself up a bit before I turn off the light, I just wish I had something else for you to wear while you sleep too, but we'll sort that out tomorrow OK?"

"It's OK Y/n, you shouldn't be worrying this much about us. We're OK as it is" Berry says.

"If you're sure. I'll be right back" You exit the room and head to the bathroom to change.

Blue P.O.V

The two sit at the edge of the bed talking as you change. Blue just couldn't stop thinking about how peculiar you are and Berry agreed with him.

"I didn't realise humans could care so much" He starts pacing up and down the bed as he continues talking. "Like why is she doing so much to make us feel comfortable? Do you think she's really doing all of this out of the kindness of her soul or-"

MEOW!

On instinct reflex Blue sends out bones to skewer whatever made the noise, his eyesockets pitch black. He had stepped on a particularly lumpy part of the bed when the noise had sounded out and he had jumped back in fear. Three blue bones are now stuck in the bed where he had previously been standing. Whatever had made the noise would now be ripped to shreds by his attack. But... what had made that noise? It sounded like a cat but you hadn't mentioned any pets. So what had...

Deciding to be brave he lifts the covers up to get a good look at the lumpy item underneath. Its a.... toy? A toy cat made for a child that had incredibly huge green eyes and fake spotted gray fur. It was definitely not an actual cat. A button labelled "press me" is seen on one of it's front paws. Blue realises he must have stepped on it while pacing and caused it to make the sound. It's totally destroyed now however and he doubts it will ever make any sound ever again.

He looks over to Berry, who is sitting as far away from them as he can. When he had heard the noise, he had run to find a place to hide, obviously convinced he was about to be attacked by a cat at any moment. Blue would have praised him for this action, if the implications of what he had just done hadn't just hit him. He had just destroyed one of your possessions. He, he hadn't meant to, he had just been trying to protect himself and Berry. But he had just screwed up big time. You were going to be so mad, maybe even throw them back out onto the streets because of his carelessness. He had to hide it. Maybe you wouldn't notice it was gone. Maybe he could even-

"Hey, I'm back you guys ready to go to-" You look at the scene on the bed. Both bitties are looking nervous and are avoiding eye contact with you. "Why are there three bones sticking out from the bed did something-" Your eyes land on the ruined cat toy. "Oh I see you found Mittens, my toy cat. I've had him since I was little"

Oh no. Of course it was valuable to her. They were so dead. "I'm sorry it's all my fault, I s-stepped on the button by a-accident and the sound it made frightened us so I attacked it. I thought it was real I- I just did it to protect Berry. You can kick me out but please let Berry stay he didn't do anything wrong, he-"

Your hand comes into contact with his skull and he flinches and draws back immediately. "Blue, I'm not kicking either of you out. I did love Mittens but he was old and it was about time I got rid of him. He's only a toy, he's nowhere near as important as you guys." 

You grab his remains and throwing them to the side you climb into the bed. "He doesn't matter anymore, it was an old part of my life I wanted to hold on to, but it's about time I let it go. I want to move on with my life and spend it with you guys now."

You yawn hugely, laying back and relaxing under your covers. "I really hope you both feel the same. Good night Blue and Berry."

Berry P.O.V.

"Goodnight Y/n" Berry settles by your toes with Blue by his side. He looks over at a silent Blue who is still deep in thought over you as he begins to drift off to sleep while staring up at the ceiling.

"I think we do."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yep Blue and Berry......  
> Thought it was a fun idea. :3
> 
> Can ye tell that I suck at writing descriptive passages when it comes to story settings and scenery :3 . That's why none of the Readers or bitties items will stand out too much and why I will barely ever talk about smaller details. I hope this won't annoy ye. I do try to, but it always sounds really bad to me :(
> 
> Also poor Mittens. You shall be missed.... By the reader anyway. If you don't like cats then I guess you're probably fine with it! 
> 
> I probably won't be able to get another chapter out for a while so I hope you don't mind waiting.
> 
> If there's any grammar mistakes I apologise, I normally have more time to go over and edit it but I really wanted to post it.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy late St. Patrick's day to any of ye who celebrate it. I'm irish so I do and thought I'd shout out to those of ye who may also celebrate the day wherever in the world you are.
> 
> For any of you interested I have started writing a new story. If you are wondering why updates are slow or something that's probably why. If you like Nightmare and his gang then I'd say check it out. I have that story completely planned out (unlike this one :3) and I'm excited to share it with as many people as I can. Check out my dashboard if your interested.
> 
> But for now, BITTIES!!!!
> 
> Hope you enjoy this new chapter!

Berry P.O.V

Berry sat by the window waiting for his human to return from work. She normally arrived home at this time of the day. He was nervous though. He wondered what kind of mood she'd be in today. He had set up a routine of sitting by the window about 30 minutes before she got home so if she arrived home early from work in a bad mood, he could try to hide away before she could get violent with him. That seemed to be happening more and more lately.

He saw the car pull up outside and held his breath. Please be in a good mood. Please be in a good mood. Please be in a-

...

Oh no. As she got out of the car, he could see a familiar looking can in her hand. If she had been drinking this while driving, then he knew she was furious about something. She only drank a lot of it when she was angry.

And she was going to take her anger out on him like she always did.

He had to hide from her. But where? No matter where he hid she always seemed to find him.

Racing away from the windowsill, he makes his way into the bathroom and dives into the cabinet under the sink. He wraps himself in the towels he finds there, hoping they'll hide him well enough from his angry owner.

The woman had made her way into the house during this time. She was quite angry and drunk and wondered where her bitty pest had gotten too. Why he had hidden from her again she was unsure, but she was going to punish him when she found him.

"Cherry, get out here now! If I have to search the whole house for you again, you're going to regret it"

He had heard her call out for him but he was way too scared to leave the sanctuary of the cabinet. He knew that he was only making it worse for himself by hiding, but maybe she would just leave him alone if she got tired looking for him? It rarely ever worked. She had found all of his hiding places by now.

In fact she had already made her way to the bathroom he hid in now. Oh stars, he was in so much trouble. He wished it could go back to the way it had been for the first week after the adoption. Those had been good days. So what had changed? Was he just a bad bitty who bored his owner so much that she would hit and kick him some days until she passed out from exhaustion. Maybe if he was a better bitty this wouldn't be happening right now and his owner wouldn't be so angry?

She had grabbed the towel he had curled up in and had flung it out of the cabinet against the wall. The Cherry had yelped in surprise, his skull being hit against the hard floor when he landed against it.

"There you are, what have I told you about running away from me you little ungrateful brat. Come here now!"

His skull was pounding, but he was able to somehow crawl over to his owner nonetheless. Tears filled his eyes knowing he had disappointed her once again. He knew he was going to get punished. Bad bitties always got punished after all.

She grabbed and squeezed him tight causing him to squirm in retaliation. He had to get away! If he didn't then he was going to get hurt. His panicking increased when she reached the kitchen where she'd often-. NO! DON'T THINK ABOUT IT, DON'T THINK ABOUT IT!

NEED TO GET AWAY! NEED TO GET AWAY!

**GET AWAY FROM ME!!!**

He then did something that he'd never thought he'd ever do to a human. He bit her, digging deep enough into her skin that it drew blood. Terror had brought him to this point. He had been running on pure fear and adrenaline at the moment and had done the only option he had available to him.

The startled human had dropped the bitty in shock and kicked him hard, sending him flying across the kitchen before landing in a mess on the floor. His leg hurt him like fire and was cracked in several places but the bitty barely noticed.

Oh stars, he had just bitten his owner and she was bleeding from the wound HE had given her. No, no, no he hadn't meant to do that. He, he had been scared and-

His owner was looking right at him now, her eyes filled with rage and hate. She was holding her injured hand protectively against her chest. Blood was dripping onto the floor from it. In a blur of movement, she had grabbed the towel he had originally been hiding in and used it to catch him, wrapping him up in it suffocatingly tight. He was trapped inside with no way out, he couldn't bite her to escape this time.

Her hands were wrapped tightly around him, restricting any movements he tried to make. He heard a door unlock and within the next second he was thrown from the towel and on to the tarmac just outside the door into his home.

The human stared down at him. "You want to act like that in my home, when all I've ever done for you is love and care for you? Fed you even when you were a nuisance? Well, I'm sick of you. You don't do anything I ever tell you to do and even when I give you everything, the thanks I receive is a bite from you? Fine. You don't appreciate me so I'm kicking you out. Let's see how well you do on your own for a while. Oh and I won't be letting you back in for a while, so scram and find someone else to go bother. You'll see that I was the best thing you ever got and then you'll come running back to me. Goodbye, you ungrateful brat"

And with that she slammed the door, locking it from the inside to keep the bitty out.

No, please let him back in! He starts pounding on the door. He promises he'll be good, he'll do anything, he'll even accept accept any punishment she had in store for him! Just let him in, he couldn't survive out here! Only the worst bitties ended up on the street and-

....

He stops pounding the door for a brief moment as he comes to a realisation.

He was a terrible bitty wasn't he? The blood he tasted in his mouth was driving him insane, only a really bad bitty would have done this. He didn't want to be a bad bitty. Oh stars, why did he have to bite her? He should have just let her punish him. He could dust out here, he realises.

No, no, NO!

He's having a breakdown on the doorstep. He was going to dust a terrible bitty. He was the worst. He deserved to dust. Bad thoughts continued to fill his head as his world crumbled around him. Brat. Useless. Waste of space. Go dust somewhere.

Someone, please anyone...

He sent a strong message out from his soul screaming for one thing....

Y/N P.O.V

**"HELP!!!"**

You wake up with a start. Opening your eyes you see it's still dark outside. What the heck had that noise you had just heard been? You had been having a really nice dream when you had heard the cry for help.

At least.... you think you heard it......

It had sounded sort of like....

Oh no. Berry!

The Cherry bitty is shivering at the end of the bed by your feet. The poor thing is clearly distressed, he is sweating big drops of red tears and his breathing is erratic. You decide to help the poor thing. That must be one hell of a nightmare he was having for him to be this panicked. 

Sitting up on the bed as carefully and quietly as you can, you scoop up the trembling bitty into your hands and cuddle him close. You lie back down on your bed and place him gently on your chest. You rub his back in a soothing manner, hoping to calm him. You quietly whisper that everything is going to be alright, that your going to protect him, that you won't let anyone ever hurt him again.

That he is safe here.

Berry relaxes and begins to snuggle into you as he drifts off into a more peaceful sleep. He looks so adorable as he grabs onto the PJ top your wearing and grips it tightly. You know he won't be moving anytime soon. Your glad he's comfy enough to sleep there and that he seems to be doing better now. You can't wait to go to the store in the morning and get him and Blue some new clothes. You are going to have so much fun shopping with your new companions!

With those thoughts in your head you begin to nod off again, satisfied that you were able to help the bitty sleep better and thinking how much better your life is going to get now that you have your two new bitty companions in it.

Blue P.O.V.

He had been awake for the whole thing. He had slept for a bit, but he needed to keep his guard up in case you tried anything, so he mostly had just laid there awake for most of the night, keeping an eye on you and Berry. He didn't really sleep that much anymore anyway. His need to protect the other bitty kept him awake

Most of the time, he thought about how weird you are being. You are certainly the strangest human he had come across so far. You didn't seem to care about anything he or Berry did wrong. Were you not angry with him for destroying that toy cat that you had apparently owned since childhood? Why were they important to you? He just wanted to understand you and why you are being so nice. All of these thoughts were giving him a headache.

That's when Berry's soul had cried out for help. Blue was used to the other getting nightmares and always tried to comfort him as best as he could whenever he got them.

However he had noticed you had woken up from the call for help and was scared to do anything for fear you'd get angry at them for disturbing your sleep. He kept still as possible pretending to be asleep as you thought about what to do.

He felt you sit up on the bed and watched as you gently scooped Berry from his spot on the bed and placed him on your chest, all the while whispering promises to the shaking bitty and petting him gently. You were comforting him? Your soul sang to the sleeping bitty in feelings of comfort, warmth and love, which helped calm Berry down until he was sleeping peacefully again.

You had continued to do that until you too had fallen asleep again, your soul happy and content.

Blue climbed up carefully to where Berry now slept on your chest and checked him to make sure he was doing OK now after his nightmare. He had never seen the other in such a peaceful sleep and it was all thanks to you.

He looked over to your sleeping face, thankful for your help. He quietly sent out a message of thanks from his soul to yours. You didn't wake up but you smiled in your sleep, the message being received loud and clear enough by your soul. Blue wanted you to know he was going to try his best to trust you from here on out and would also try his best to protect you from the other humans as well. He guesses you don't like them too much either.

He settles down under the blankets on your chest beside Berry. You felt really warm and comfortable and he could feel your soul pulsing, calling out to them in affection and love. Blue could get used to this. Finally a good human, who won't just treat them like a pet or throw them outside after one small mistake. One that understands them and won't force them to do anything they don't want to. 

One that makes them feel safe and comforted.

He wishes you could have adopted them that day. 

Maybe he would be here then.

He shakes his head and cuddles closer to you. He needs to stop thinking about that and move on.

.....

He finds it is really hard to move on though. 

He misses him so much. He wants to let him know that he is safe and had gotten away from that horrible place. But he also wants him to be safe as well. He wishes that he could take his place and that he could be here instead of him.

He takes one last look at you and Berry before he goes back to sleep and makes himself a promise.

He failed to protect him, but he won't fail to protect you two.

He'd be dust before he let any other humans hurt anyone under his care ever again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Blue has accepted you and is willing to protect you now! Yay!
> 
> Let's hope he won't ever need to though....  
> =)
> 
> Hope you enjoyed the update,  
> See you soon!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for over 50 kudos and over 450 hits! I did not expect so many people to read and enjoy this.
> 
> Enjoy the chapter!

Y/N P.O.V

You are surprised to find both bitties sleeping soundly on your chest when you wake up. Did Blue climb up there later on in the night? You're still too sleepy to really think about it.

But today's the day, you realise excitedly. You're going to go shopping with your two new companions. Now you aren't rich by any means but you are willing to spend quite a bit on the bitties today. You kind of want to spoil them to show how much you care about them and also to show you appreciate their company in the house. You aren't really saving up for anything at the moment anyway so you don't mind spending a lot today. Helping the bitties settle in is more important than anything you might have wanted.

You nudge the two gently awake with your hands, petting their skulls gently. "Blue. Berry. It's time to get up. We're going shopping today remember."

Both of them are still very tired so it takes a moment for them to wake up and realize that they aren't on the street under the dumpster anymore.

You can see Berry rubbing his eye sockets as he stands up groggily. He looks into your eyes, his own eyelights are stars. Maybe he had thought yesterday had just been a dream and he would just wake up underneath the dumpster again today and that's why he's so happy right now? Or maybe he's just excited to go shopping? You aren't entirely sure but you're glad he's happy regardless.

He helps Blue to stand up. He is looking pretty well rested. His blue eyelights shine as they look at Berry.

Now that both bitties are awake, you slowly sit up on the bed being careful not to trip them. Once you're sitting up at a good distance, you take a moment to stretch and yawn. You're caught off guard when you are tackled by Berry at your side who is now hugging you, a big smile written on his face.

"Morning Y/N. Thank you for letting us sleep on your chest last night." He looks away. "I hope it wasn't uncomfortable and I'm sorry if my nightmare woke you up." He looks like he's feeling guilty over it. Well this won't do at all.

You pick the bitty up and gently nuzzle him. "It's okay Berry, we all get nightmares. If you ever want to talk to me about anything I'll be here for you ok."

Berry hugs back and smiles. "Ok. If I get one again I'll come to you to talk about it." The two of you just sit there for a bit enjoying the cuddle.

You're a small bit startled when you feel a tug on your t-shirt on your right side. You stop cuddling Berry for a bit and look down at your other bitty. It looks like he wants something, but he's contemplating if he should ask it or not. You stroke his skull gently.

"Blue is there something you want to ask me? I promise I won't be mad at you. You can say anything to me and I promise I won't ever get angry at you for speaking to me."

Blue P.O.V.

He wants you to hold him and cuddle him too. It's what every bitty wants really to be held and given affection by a human, but his past makes him hesitant.

"Can....... can you pick me up as well please?"

You look surprised at first and only nod your head at the request. It's as if your scared any other reaction will make him change his mind. He wants to do this though. 

You place your hand down gently beside him, allowing him to get on whenever he wants to. He lets out a breath of air and steps on. You bring him closer to your chest gently but you stop about an inch away from it, just holding him there. You were obviously scared you might scare him if you did anything more. He wants proper affection though, but he really has no idea how to ask. Indecision is written clearly all over his face and he looks up to you with big, wide blue eyelights for help.

"Do you want me to........ cuddle you too?" You ask him, a hint of a smile on your face.

'YES!' he wants to shout out, but instead he just looks away and nods. Very slowly you bring him closer until he is standing beside Berry on your other hand, who is still hugging you. He grabs onto you gently and begins to cuddle, scared that if he doesn't do it now he might be too afraid to try again later. 

You hug back softly and Blue lets out a sigh of relief. You're being gentle with him! It feels really nice. So this is what being adopted by a nice human feels like..... It's amazing. It feels like a part of him that was missing before is being filled in now. He doesn't want this to stop. 

Both you and Berry are looking overjoyed at his actions. Berry seems happy that he is being brave and accepting you, while you just look like you are going to burst from joy. Happy tears are filling your eyes. Blue doesn't think he's ever seen a human this happy before. He's....... actually glad he's able to make you feel this way.

You're holding both bitties against your chest now and you take it in turns to nuzzle both of them. You stay like this for 10 minutes just enjoying each others company and cuddles. No one wants this to end, but you have to get up at some stage. Giving them one last gentle squeeze you begin to crawl out of bed and place them down to get changed.

You laugh as both bitties seem to pout at being put down. Blue is particularly grumpy. Can't they just cuddle a bit longer? It was so nice to be able to relax for once.

You quickly change and take both bitties downstairs to the kitchen. "Let's make some breakfast! Any requests?"

Both bitties look unsure, they haven't eaten much human food before, except for the leftovers they could find in the trash but they never tasted great.

"Ok let's make pancakes. They're my favourite! Hopefully you'll like them too."

They watch as you grab different ingredients from the pantry and begin mixing them to create a pancake mix from scratch.

Blue really wants to help but resists the temptation and instead just focuses on staying on your shoulder and fidgets in place. He didn't want to act like a normal Baby Blue anymore. He's more mature than that now.

You notice him acting weird but you don't comment on it. Did you know cooking is a thing that most Baby Blues enjoyed doing? He's glad your not questioning why he's fidgeting though.

After finishing the mix, you grab a frying pan and begin to cook the pancakes. Blue is amazed about how skillfully you are able to flip them. You're obviously very skilled at this. Berry is also watching you in wonder, he notices. He let's out a little cheer whenever you successfully flip one high into the air and catch it.

Before long the three of you are enjoying the pancakes you cooked up. Blue really likes the taste and even adds some blueberries to his. Berry adds raspberries to his.

"They're delicious. Thank you Y/N!" He says muffled as his mouth is full of his pancake.

"Thanks." Blue simply says.

"You're welcome." You say giggling at Berries actions. "Shall we begin our shopping trip then?"

Berry P.O.V.

"Yay! Let's go." Berry is really looking forward to going out with you and Blue. He knows you'll keep both of them safe wherever they go. You grab a bag and explain that they are allowed to hide in there anytime if they feel uncomfortable on your shoulder. They nod in understanding, but for now he and Blue are happy enough to be as close to you as possible.

Leaving the house, you lock the door and exit the gate. He notices your grumpy neighbours don't even turn around to greet you as you walk down the street with the two bitties on your shoulder. Were you lonely before you met them? No one seems to be happy to see you. Instead they look kind of annoyed by your presence.

You keep your head down and keep walking past the other houses. Berry rubs your shoulder to remind you of his and Blues presence on your shoulder. He hopes you'll be happier knowing that they're with you now and that you're not alone anymore. You do seem to perk up a little at the interaction as you begin to walk a little more confidently down the street. Berry is glad he can cheer you up a bit.

After passing a couple more streets and people who take no notice of you, you find yourselves standing outside a bitty adoption centre and both bitties stiffen. Berry really doesn't want to go in here and he knows Blue doesn't either. 

What if she finds better bitties inside and abandons them? He really doesn't want to be left here again. He wants you to look after them! He begins shaking in fear. Blue really doesn't look much better than him and is sweating profusely trying to hide behind you.

You look towards the two and give them a sad smile. "You two probably don't have very good memories from this place, huh?" They both shake their skulls gripping you tightly with their little hands. 

"I promise it'll be really quick, in fact I'm just going to the shop section. I won't even look at the other bitties ok? I'm not going to let you out of my sight for even a second and I won't let any other humans come near you or touch you ok? Nothing will happen to either of you. If you want to you can hide in the bag until we arrive at the shop section."

He looks over to the Blue who nods, neither of them are brave enough at the moment to stay on your shoulder. They climb into the handbag but keep their skulls out so they can look around. Other than that though the two are well hidden. No one will really notice them hiding there unless they were really looking. Berry is grateful you brought the bag. Perhaps you had known he and Blue would be nervous going into this particular shop. 

"We're entering now" you warned them as you enter the shop. Berry hears a little ding from a bell as the door is opened. He really doesn't want to be here, but you and Blue are here with him so it should be fine. He just had to trust that you won't leave them behind. You aren't going to abandon them...... right?

Y/N P.O.V

As you enter the store you see two signs. 

One points right, apparently that's where you'd go if you wanted to find the bitty pens and adopt a bitty. Well as much as you'd like to meet other bitties, you promised your own you wouldn't and your not one to break promises. Perhaps you could look another time, when they're feeling braver.

The sign pointing to the left is where your destination lies. The bitty shop where you can buy all the essentials for your skeleton companions! 

You head left and make your way down the hallway. You see lots of photos of bitties that you can't help but smile at. They all looked so happy and cute.

Arriving at the entrance of the shop, you see different aisles filled with many different items of food, clothing and houses for each of the bitty types. You never realised there were so many different types of bitties. You think you can see the aisles meant for Baby Blues and Cherrys though as they are closer to the front of the store. They're obviously very popular bitty types.

Just as you are about to ask the two bitties in your handbag where they want to start looking, you feel a weight land on your right shoulder. You are surprised to see a different bitty there. He has red eyelights like Berry, but his teeth seem sharper. He seems to have an overall meaner and dangerous aura than your red coloured bitty.

"Hey sweetheart. If you're looking to adopt than you're in the wrong place. Bitty pens are in the other direction. But hey, you look like the type of human that can use an Edgy like me in your life to help you out with basic directions and other shit like that. What do you say?"

You're way too stunned to respond at first. This Edgy seems pretty confident in himself. You had read that Edgys are known for swearing a lot and being flirtatious with their owners and others. They also tend to get violent and bite their owners though if they aren't looked after properly. You had found it cute how he had called you sweetheart and you feel bad for the little guy since he seems to be trying really hard to get adopted, but you made a promise to Blue and Berry. You just hope the poor guy hasn't been here too long and he won't find your rejection too hard.

Just as you're about to finally respond to him. You feel another weight grab onto you as it climbs up onto your shoulder to stand beside the Edgy.

Blue growls at him from his new place on your shoulder. "Back off Edgy. This human is already taken and she's not interested in an Edgy like you. Don't talk to her like that." Berry joins him up there in support as he finishes talking, though he is clearly frightened of the other bitty. All of them stand at their tallest and the Edgy and Baby Blue glare at each other, hands tightened into fists at their sides.

The Edgy breaks the silence. He smirks at your bitties looking more confident than ever. "Wow, a Baby Blue that actually acts tough, you don't see that everyday. But I'm sure your human would prefer a bitty that isn't clearly a defect, don't you think?" Blue's eyesockets widen. 

"Baby Blues aren't supposed to act like you do, so there's obviously something wrong with you. Why did they let a bitty like you be adopted is what I want to know." He looks towards you. "You should return him and get your money back or ask for another better bitty if you're interested."

Blue looks taken aback by the comments and actually tries to hide behind you shrinking in size and looking down. You're surprised what the Edgy said actually seems to be affecting him. You don't appreciate the way he just spoke to your bitty though. Blue is perfect just the way he is thank you and nothing anyone says will change your mind.

Once again as you're about to speak you are cut off, this time by Berry. He stands protectively in front of the other bitty shielding him from the Edgy's view. He's looking pretty angry. 

"L-leave h-him a-alone." His voice betrays him as he speaks, it's clear that he's scared of the other. But you admire his bravery and the fact he's willing to stand up for his best friend. It's clear they share an unbreakable bond. You know that they'll defend and protect each other against any opponent to the end and the thought warms your heart.

"Another one? Gee lady, you really know how to pick them. There's something clearly wrong with them, can't you tell?" The Edgy looks at you with worry and confusion written on his face. Why did he care so much about you and your decision to take them in anyway is what you want to know? There's nothing wrong with them. 

"G-go and f-find someone else to a-annoy, E-Edgy. Our human isn't l-looking t-to adopt any more b-bitties today."

You nod at that. "Sorry little guy but we're here to shop and we need to get going now. I'm sure you'll find someone nice to adopt you one day ok? I'm sorry I can't."

The Edgy looks sad for just a moment before his face turns into a scowl. He tsks, muttering something about humans and their stupidity when it comes to choosing their bitties. Even though he's been mean to you, Blue and Berry, you still hope he'll find a good home someday. You can tell your rejection did hurt him in some way but he's just very good at hiding it.

"There you are!" You hear someone call out behind you. The Edgy sweats nervously as a tall young man begins walking your way, his eyes fixed on the bitty. He's got short, dark brown hair and blue eyes. He's wearing a uniform with a name tag like the other people you had passed by but not spoken a word to earlier, so he must work here too you realise. It says Luke on the name tag.

"What have I told you about sneaking out of the bitty pens and annoying the customers in here?" He asks tapping his right foot up and down on the tiled floor. His arms are crossed as he stares down at the bitty.

The Edgy looks away. "Not to do it?" He mumbles.

"Exactly. Come on let's get you back." he holds out his hand so he can carry the bitty and after rolling his eyes at him, the Edgy climbs up. 

Luke turn to you and rubs the back of his neck nervously using the other hand. "Sorry, I hope he wasn't bothering you too much. He's kind of known for sneaking out here and bothering the customers." You notice the Edgy briefly looks ashamed by his comments, but he quickly shrugs it off and returns to glaring at the two bitties on your shoulder.

"I'll be back in a minute once I return this one to his pen. I can help you look for items for your bitties if you wish. I know what these types like quite well." He is staring at your bitties now which is making them feel very uncomfortable you notice.

You shake your head and try to shield the bitties from his view. You want to keep human interaction to a minimum and you can tell both Blue and Berry are wary of him. "We'll be fine, thanks."

"If you're sure. I won't be gone long anyway so if you need me just give me a shout." And with that he left with the Edgy to return the little runaway to his pen.

"Are you both ok? Shall we see what we can buy now or do you need me to wait a minute so you can recover from that experience? That Edgy was being quite harsh wasn't he?"

Blue P.O.V.

Blue is deep in thought about the encounter he had just had with the Edgy. A defect? He realises that the Edgy isn't entirely wrong. There is something wrong with him and most humans and bitties would consider him as one. But he was not born this way. He used to be normal once, until those humans had come and broken him. His personality, his joy, everything he cared about, brutally taken from him. He'd never be the same. 

Did you........ did you only take care of him out of pity. Why else would you take in a bitty like him? He doesn't know what to think anymore. 

He just nods his head at your question. At least shopping would distract him from these thoughts. Berry looks at him in concern, but Blue just smiles at him. He's fine, don't worry about it.

Berry looks towards you. "Can we go pick out some clothes first."

""Yep, let's have a look shall we?" You say grabbing a basket and beginning to look down the different aisles. 

You spend the next two hours trying on loads of different outfits, picking out a small two-storey house they could use if needed and grabbing other items and monster candies for them. The two bitties would often pick something up or stare at something out of the corner of their eyesockets before deciding they didn't need them. Blue and Berry didn't want to spend lots of your money after all, they were just thankful you took them in and could provide for their basic needs. He notices how you would always sneakily put them into your basket afterwards when you thought they weren't looking. How much is all this going to cost you? 

He has to admit it is nice to have all these new soft clothes that belong to him though and he knows Berry is thinking the same. The house is a nice bonus too. It has working electricity and running water so they'll be able to bathe without your help or can just get away if need be. And the monster candy will help cure Berry's leg, which is great as he knows his friend has been limping for a while now. He hopes he'll be walking again normally in no time.

Blue notices you briefly look down the collar and leash aisle before shaking your head and going past it. Thank the stars he doesn't have to go there. He **HATED** the collars. He knows that certain areas such as big shopping centres and beaches require bitties to wear them but he's not sure if you know this. He's not going to tell you yet though. His last owner had put him in a collar and had **never** taken it off. It was so tight around his neck and at times he could still imagine the feel of it squeezing his throat, even though it's no longer there. It often will get really painful around that area and when it does, he's forced to relive everything he went through again. When he had escaped it had taken him 2 hours to get the damn thing off. He isn't sure if he could ever wear one and not have a panic attack ever again....

Especially when he thinks about how much worse **his** collar was. He had nightmares about that all the time. How it had been used against him if he disobeyed and.....and....

He just can't sleep anymore for fear he'd have to see him in it.

He shakes away the thoughts though. You weren't going to put him in one. At least not today. One day he'd tell you about those laws when it's required but until then he'd rather not have the conversation with you. For his and Berry's sake.

You've looked around the whole store now and both bitties have what they need, so you make your way to the exit to pay. Luke is manning the register. He had come over a few times while you shopped to ask if you needed help but you had waved him off every time saying you didn't.

He smiles as you approach him. "Did you manage to find everything you were after?"

You barely acknowledge him as you begin unloading all the items for him to scan. "We did, thanks" you mumble quietly.

"Great. Let me just call my own bitty over to help. Hey Sky! Can you come here for a moment please!" He shouts for the whole store to hear him. He sees a blur of movement and all of a sudden a Baby Blue who isn't much different in appearance to him appears on the desk where the items are being scanned.

"HI LUKE. DO YOU NEED ME TO HELP WITH THIS HUMAN'S SHOPPING?"

"Yes please buddy. We've got a lot of items here to scan for a Cherry and a Baby Blue who this nice lady has come in today with."

"WOWIE!! ANOTHER BABY BLUE JUST LIKE ME! MWEH HEH HEH!" He waves at him enthusiastically, with stars in his eyesockets.

"GREETINGS NEW FRIENDS. I AM THE MAGNIFICENT SKY AND I'LL HELP PACK THESE ITEMS INTO BAGS FOR YOU IN RECORD TIME AND THEN YOU CAN BE ON YOUR WAY."

Cherry seems happy at the bitty's friendly nature and waves back at him shyly. "Hi Sky, my name is Berry. It's nice to meet you." Blue just responds with a simple hi, his name and then looks away. Sky is briefly confused by Blue's coldness but doesn't question it and instead smiles and chats with you and Berry as he begins packing the scanned items into bags.

Sky reminds him of exactly how he had acted in the past. He's basically Blue's younger self before he got 'adopted.' This is how he is meant to act in the eyes of any human or bitty. Just a cute, loud, energetic and optimistic Baby Blue. Yeah right. He didn't act like that anymore. He hated looking at what he used to be. That him had been innocent and naive. He had been thrown into the deep end of the real world and had to force himself to change to survive it.

Maybe you'd prefer a normal Baby Blue like Sky more than him? You seemed to enjoy chatting with him as he packs the items into bags. You really deserve better than him he thinks. Nobody would want a broken Baby Blue like him. It's unfair on you, you probably just wanted a better bitty, but you had to deal with him instead. At least Berry still acted mostly like a normal Cherry. He's just able to be braver than most others when he needs to be.

Blue barely notices how all the items have now been packed into bags and how you are now wishing both Sky and Luke a good day. You now carry 5 bags in total which includes the handbag you've had with you since the start of the day. They're all packed to the brim with items for the bitties, the house has a bag of it's own of course.

You exit the store and letting out a deep breath you place the bags down. "Blue. Can you climb onto my hand for a minute please?"

He does as he's told without a word. He's too lost in his own thoughts to really care about what's going to happen now. He feels like a hollow, empty shell at the moment. He knows you probably are angry at him after seeing what Sky acts like, but he just doesn't have it in him to care.

You bring him close once again like you did in the morning and hug him. Why? He's so confused. The Edgy is right isn't he? He's broken. Nobody should be giving him any affection. So why are you comforting him right now? He doesn't deserve it. There are plenty of other bitties who deserve this more than him. 

He doesn't hug back. His hands continue to hang limp at his side. He's not sure how he should be reacting to this. He just closes his eyesockets and concentrates on your voice as you speak to him again.

"Blue.......  
Please listen to me. The Edgy is wrong, neither you or Berry are defects. You're amazing, cool bitties and I'm glad you are both now a part of my life. I won't let anyone tell me otherwise."

You.... think he's cool? He looks up at your gently smiling face and is convinced that what your saying is what you believe to be true.

He lets out a shaky sigh and begins gripping onto you tightly and smiles. It's nice to know someone thinks he's cool even if he doesn't think so himself. Your soulbeat relaxes him and his dark thoughts leave him as your soul sends out feelings of compassion to his own. He feels better now, though he's not fully convinced he's not just a broken bitty who'll just end up disappointing his human.

He'll just have to take your word for it for now.

You place him back on your shoulder when he says he's alright and after he thanks you for your kind words. Picking up the bags, the three of you begin to make your way home once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, we got all the essentials for the bitties now! But the shopping trip didn't really go to plan.... whoops :1
> 
> Hope you enjoyed the update!  
> As you can see I've the first 15 chapters completely planned out for an arc. I'll still be continuing the story after that. I just need to come up with another story arc.
> 
> I'll probably take a small break from writing when I get to that point to focus on my other story. It's quite hard balancing and writing both of the stories at once. And since I'm not entirely sure what I'm doing after that for this story and the other one is entirely planned out I think it'll be easier to focus on it.
> 
> But for now I shall continue with both equally.
> 
> I'm really excited to show you all what I've come up with for this story though!
> 
> I hope you'll enjoy it.
> 
> Leave me comments and theories of what you think is going to happen next. It's probably not that hard to guess though. I'm not the best at plot twists. :/
> 
> Thanks for reading.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter yay! Sorry for the delay :( ... but it's here now! :D
> 
> Hope you enjoy.

Y/N P.O.V

When you had arrived home that day, you had spent the next several hours getting everything set up for the bitties.

Most of the stuff was set up in your room. They were comfortable enough in your presence now to agree to sleeping on you every night from now on, which you were overjoyed about. 

Their house is located at the bottom of the bed in case they need some alone time. You set it up so that both the electricity and water are now on and ready to be used should they need it.

You had also given Berry some of the monster candy you had bought which had greatly helped his leg to heal. You could tell it is most likely going to scar but you're at least glad that the bitty won't be limping for life. Who knows how much worse it could have gotten if left untreated?

The following day you enjoyed greatly. You woke up in the exact way as before with the two bitties cuddling you happily. As you had work the following day, you didn't really fancy leaving the house. So you ended up staying in the house in your pyjamas and playing with Blue and Berry. You played some card and video games, teaching the bitties the rules and how to play. They learned the basics of each of the games quickly and the three of you had a great day just chatting and having fun.

But today is a different story. Your alarm beeps loudly, signifying you have to get up for work. You ignore it as you normally do and grumble, annoyed that the device disturbed your peaceful slumber. You feel something tug at your sleeve and you open your eyes groggily.

Blue and Berry are looking at you in concern. "Y/N, isn't that beeping sound supposed to tell you when to get up?" Berry asks.

"It is...... just.... give me five more minutes" you mumble as you turn away, using the pillow to block out the noise.

Blue begins stamping his foot in annoyance at your actions. "Y/N, get up and turn your device off! It's supposed to be getting you up, you're not meant to ignore it. Stop being so lazy!"

You silently giggle at him and pretend to snore loudly.

He rolls his eyelights. "I know you're awake. And that's not funny. Getting up at a good time is important. So come on, get up!" he demands trying to pull you out of the bed.

You sit up and turn the alarm off. "Ok, ok. I'm up. Happy now Blue?"

He nods. "Very. Though next time you should wake up as soon as it goes off. You can get up without my help."

"Why did you have an alarm set for today anyway?" Cherry asks.

You sigh. "I've gotta go to work. Otherwise I won't be able to pay the bills. It is quite boring though.... But as long as I get enough money from it, I don't mind."

You get out of bed and prepare for your day. You notice both bitties are being very quiet and you wonder why.

You all sit down for breakfast. It's just cereal today as you don't really have the time for anything else. You eat in silence, but Blue and Berry keep giving each other looks and then turn to face you as if to ask you something. What is going on with those two today?

"Is there something you two want to ask me? You're both being really quiet today."

Blue P.O.V

Blue looks over to Berry who nods. He knew he would have to ask this sooner than later. "Are we coming with you to your workplace or will we be staying at home?"

You look surprised for a moment and then sad as you think of a response. "Well I...... I presumed you would stay here. I'm not even sure if they allow bitties in there... Also as I said it's a really boring job, so you'd be much happier here I think. I'll leave you one of my old phones to play games on and the cards too, ok? You can also grab some food whenever you want from the pantry. You can have fun in the house. I will miss you during the day, but I'll call often to see how you're getting on and you can call me too. We'll find a way to make this work."

Blue hears a sniffling sound coming from Berry's side of the table. Berry looks as if he's about to burst into tears. "B-But, I don't want to stay here. I w-wanna go with you to work. I'm happiest when I'm with y-you and Blue, Y/N. P-Please don't l-leave us h-here."

He's crying full red tears now as he sobs. "W-We won't d-disturb you, I p-promise it'll be l-like we're n-not e-even there. I want to s-stay with y-you. You're our h- human after all and.... and I d-don't w-want to l-leave y-your side."

Blue also wants to go with you. He's scared something might happen to you if he's not there to protect you. He needs to let the other humans know that you are not to be messed with. "We're coming with you, we won't feel happy if you're out there without us. We'd feel better staying with you."

You look conflicted. You're deep in thought over the matter before you sigh heavily and gently scoop both bitties into your hold.

"Alright. I'm not going to leave you here alone. But I need to check if it's alright with my boss first. I don't want him taking you from me because I snuck you in there or something. Also you have to stay by my side or on my desk at all times. I usually get a small 10 minute break around 11 and an hour break for lunch at around 1 or 2. We can chat and relax during those times. I finish work usually around 5 or 6 so we'll head home then. Are you both ok with all of this?"

Blue is relieved you didn't argue with them over this. He was actually planning a way to sneak in with you by hiding him and Berry in the handbag if you had said no, but he's glad you're willing to take them yourself and he doesn't have to resort to that.

Berry seems pleased too and wipes the tears from his eyesockets. "W-We'll be fine, Y/N, just as long as we're with you. We won't annoy you, we'll just watch and talk quietly with each other. Though I-I might cuddle you from time to time just for the contact and I'm sure Blue would like to do that too."

Blue nods. He'll do it from time to time if he feels any negative feelings coming from your soul, just to remind you of their presence to help you feel better. He wants you to be happy at work, but he can currently sense a small feeling of dread coming off of your soul whenever you mention it.

"That's fine, I will appreciate the company. Maybe work won't be so boring for a change." You brighten up at that sentence, a feeling of hope coming from your soul. Blue is happy their presence can make you feel this way.

You look at the clock hanging from the wall. "Oh shoot, if we don't leave now, I'm going to be late. Come on, let's go." You grab your handbag and place the bitties on your shoulder.

You speed walk down the street, afraid to run in case the bitties fall off.

Blue shakes his head at your behaviour. Are you always this late for work and rushing around from one place to another? He's going to need to teach you some lessons about the importance of being punctual and getting up on time. How had you survived all these years without him he wonders? Even yesterday you had just sat around all day not doing much and although he doesn't mind doing that every once in a while, he has a feeling you have these 'lazy days' quite often. He's going to need to take you out more.

You all arrive at what appears to be an office block. Blue can see lots of different humans inside working or walking about. He instinctively takes a step back on your shoulder to try and hide behind you.

You notice. "Blue, are you ok? Do you need a minute?"

He shakes his skull, though his worried look remains.

You look like you're going to argue but you instaed just look inside the building. "If you're sure. We're going to head inside then. Can I ask you both to be quiet around my boss and around the other humans until I get to my office. I need to convince people you won't distract me from my job, not that I think you will."

Berry is also looking rather nervously at the building in front of them but nods his skull to show he understands. 

Blue hopes they'll be able to stay and that your boss won't try to grab them or anything. He may resort to violence if he feels threatened, though he doubts you'll like that very much. He doesn't want to get you fired after all.

Blue continues staring straight ahead at the other humans. "Let's head in. We'll stay quiet."

Berry P.O.V.

Berry watched the humans around him work, though a few stopped what they were doing to stare at him and Blue riding on your shoulder. Some of them whisper to each other about it. He can feel Blue tense up beside him, while he tries to hide from all the different pairs of eyes watching him. Berry hates being the centre of attention. It usually meant someone would try and grab him.

You continue walking, ignoring the stares you're getting.

You send feelings of comfort out to him and Blue, which Berry appreciates, but he can tell you're not too happy with all the stares you're receiving either. He sends his own feelings of warmth out to you, hoping it might make a difference. He detects a subtle positive change in your emotions, but you're still nervous. Berry wishes he can do more to help relax you, but he promised he'd be quiet and not disturb you.

You stop outside a door and taking a big breath you knock on it twice. A man's voice from inside calls out telling you to enter. When he had answered, Berry had felt your nervousness heighten dramatically and looking over at Blues worried face he can tell the other bitty could feel it too.

You enter the room. An old man sits at his desk and watches you as you enter the room. He had his glasses on and seemed to be working on something on his computer.

"Sorry to disturb you sir. But I just had a question."

"Hello Y/N." He looks at his watch. "Nice to see you early for work for a change." Berry frowns slightly at the man's tone but stays quiet. "Take a seat." You begin heading over to the chair in front of his desk. "What is it you wish to speak to me- Oh!"

His eyes land on the bitties. Berry grips you tighter when his gaze falls on him. He can't tell what the man is thinking and he's scared.

"Are those skeleton bitties?" The man asks. "You never told me you had any. My daughter has one of those. The little guy really adores her and she loves him too. I appreciate the fact he makes her so happy and I have to say I enjoy his company as well." He looks more closely at Berry. "In fact, he looks quite like the red one you have there"

You sit down on the chair and beckon the bitties to step onto your hand. Berry does so nervously, with Blue following him a second later. You hold them close and use your fingers to stroke them affectionately as you continue to talk to him. Berry finds this very comforting and relaxes in your hold.

"Is he a Cherry type then by any chance sir?" You ask.

He thinks for a moment then nods. "Yes I believe he is actually. They do make great pets don't they." Berry stiffens at the word pet. He knows that's what most humans see bitties as but he doesn't like the term all that much. Blue hates it as well and Berry can see him glaring at the human while the man isn't looking at him. Berry can feel slight anger directed at the other human coming from your soul, though your face doesn't change in the slightest.

"And I can tell these two really adore you too. You must look after them very well." Berry is glad the man can at least see that much. He snuggles further into your hold to prove it. The other human smiles at the bitty's actions before he looks back up at you. "So what can I do for you anyway?"

"I just wanted to ask was it ok to have the bitties with me while I work. They promised to be quiet and not distract me or anyone else while I'm working." You remain professional in front of the other, though Berry can tell that you don't really want to.

"That's fine, Y/N. I know how from my daughter how clingy and needy they can be. Just as long as they don't break anything or annoy anyone you're free to bring them to work with you. Just don't get too distracted ok?"

Again, Berry had felt rising anger coming from you as your boss said that. Berry isn't sure what upset you so much. Was it because he had said they were clingy?

Was he clingy? Berry thinks he might be. After all he's constantly seeking your attention and affection. He hopes you don't find him too annoying.

"I won't sir, thank you for your time."

"Call me if there's any problems with the paperwork. Bye Y/N."

Y/N P.O.V

You say goodbye to your boss and shut the door, letting out a breath in relief. At least Blue and Berry can stay with you while you're working now. 

You're angry at your boss though. People who think like him are just the worst. Why can't they see bitties are meant to be companions, not pets? Bitties are sentient beings, capable of thinking for themselves after all. They shouldn't be owned by someone but live with them as equals. You would have argued with your boss over this but you couldn't really afford to lose your job at the moment. You just hope his daughter thinks differently for her Cherry's sake.

You walk briskly up some flights of stairs and getting to your office you shut the door behind you. At least you're alone with the bitties now and not being stared at by nosy people.

You notice that the bitties are trying to get your attention. "Sorry about that guys. Thanks for being quiet. At least you're allowed to come to work with me now. What do you need?"

"Are you ok? We could both sense you getting angry in there and we were wondering why." Blue asks.

"Oh, that....." You trail off. "I just hate the way other humans think about you guys. I wish they wouldn't just see you as pets for their amusement, but as companions to treat with respect. My boss is... He's an idiot....." You very much doubt anyone could hear you say that about him, being the only human in the room. "At least when it comes to thinking about bitties. Though thankfully he could see that I try to take good care of both of you and he allowed you to stay with me while I work. I just want you to be treated better by all humans. Maybe one day things will change..... Also don't listen to what he says about you being clingy or needy. You guys are neither of those things. I'm happy to take care of anything you need or want when you want it. Just try not to take anything he says to heart."

Both seem a bit confused at your anger. Are they not used to others sticking up for them? You need to fix that.

You change the subject for now, smiling down at the two of them. "But right now I guess I'll just have to do my job. Do you two want to sit on the desk so I can get started?"

The next two hours fly by for you as you just work away at the paperwork your boss had left you on the desk. You weren't disturbed by your other co-workers at all for some weird reason. Normally they get you to help them with really simple jobs such as unjamming the printer or fixing the copy machine. Sometimes you want to say no to these people, you aren't exactly being paid extra for doing these things for others. But you always ended up doing them anyway out of the kindness of your soul.

You had watched the bitties out of the corner your eyes trying to find ways to amuse themselves. You had brought the old phone and for a while the two had played games on it, taking turns to share the device. You notice Blue lets Berry use it most of the time even when the other insists that he should also get a turn. They had also watched you working for a small bit. They asked questions about the job, but you didn't mind because they were simple enough to answer, meaning you could continue working while speaking to them.

When you at one stage you had become particularly stressed over some of the work you had been doing, Blue and Berry had come over to cuddle you and had encouraged you to keep trying. Feeling more relaxed after that, you were able to complete it and move on. Normally you would have just ended up sitting there stumped for hours before you made any progress with the papers, so your happy that you had the two bitties with you to help you to keep motivated.

Finally you decide a tea break is in order. You check the break room and are relieved to see no other staff there at the moment. As you wait for the water to boil, you chat with Blue and Berry to ask how they are getting on.

"I hope you're both not too bored in there because unfortunately I've still got a lot of work to do. I knew I should've brought the playing cards with me. Are you guys hungry, thirsty or-"

Blue interrupts you. "Y/N we're fine! Stop worrying about us and just concentrate on your work, ok? We were the one's who decided to come anyway so you don't need to worry about what we want. We're happiest when you're with us anyway, so we don't mind."

You look as if you're about to argue before you sigh and hug both bitties close "Just promise me you'll tell me if you need anything?"

They both nod and after you finish the tea you head back to the office for more work.

Another hour in and you're SO BORED.... but there's still plenty of time before your lunch break. Ugh.... 

You've been staring off into space for quite a while when Blue speaks to you. "You alright, Y/N?"

You smile at him even though you're pretty exhausted. This time of the day is always when you feel the most burned out from your job, probably due to the fact you're hungry and nothing really got done when you're hungry.

"I'm just a bit tired... and hungry." You admit. 

Blue and Berry look at each other in worry then back at you. "Can we do anything for you?" Berry asks.

Aw, that's so sweet of them to ask! You didn't really need them to though. It's your job after all and you're the only one who has to do it. Though maybe there is one thing they could do.

"How about I take a small 3 minute break and we can relax for a bit and maybe even.... cuddle, if you wish?"

"Yay!!" Berry cheered while Blue beamed, both happy they can get affection from you for a small bit.

The 3 minutes went by way too quickly and although you were willing to spend a few more minutes just relaxing with your two favourite bitty companions, Blue INSISTED you get back to work, saying you needed to stop procrastinating while crossing his arms and stamping his foot in annoyance at your laziness.

You were able to concentrate enough to get a good chunk of work done before lunch came. Deciding it was a perfect place to grab a bite to eat you go to the same store you went to on the day you found the bitties. You explained it was the place where you had bought the blueberry muffins from. You knew from the moment that literal stars appeared in both their eyesockets that you would definitely be eating those for lunch. You buy three of them and head back to the office to eat. 

The bitties end up finishing theirs before you and you giggle at this. Blueberry muffins were a definite favourite then. You'd have to remember to buy them more often. Both bitties got crumbs on their faces, though this time you had come prepared with tissues and they were able to wipe them off.

After that quick snack, you started working once again. But of course being busy during that break, you had completely forgotten to use the bathroom. Guess you're going to go now then.

"Hey guys. Um.. I need to use the restroom so will you two be ok in here for a bit? I'll close the door."

Blue P.O.V.

Blue looks up from the game he had been playing on your phone with Berry.

"If its only for a bit I don't see the problem, we'll be fine."

You still look unsure but you begin opening the door and turn back to look at them once last time. "I'll be quick." You say and with that you shut the door.

The two bitties continue to play the game and chat until the door opens again. Blue stands up to welcome you back.... 

Oh no...

"Hey Y/N, you in here. I need to ask you for another favour, last one I'll ask I promise." A young man stands at the doorway and Blue is instantly on high alert. He's scared for his and Berrys safety. He's aware that they know you but he doesn't imagine you being friends with this human. Also, does this human have any manners? He should knock before entering someone elses work space, for stars sake! Blue already did not like this human.

Blue gets up and moves in front of Berry to shield the other bitty in case this human is dangerous. 

The man finally spots the pair. "Woah bitties! Awesome!!! I've never seen one up close before." He says more to himself than to the pair on the table. "Who could have known that Y/N has actual taste and is willing to adopt a bitty despite being such a loner. Now that I think about it, she's probably just looking after them for a friend or something. She can hardly talk to any of us without freezing up, what'll make her any different with bitties? She'd probably be the worst owner in the world, you guys are probably bored with her right now, I'm guessing."

Blue **did not** appreciate the way he was speaking about you. **How dare** he insult the only human who has ever shown him kindness. If he could, he'd attack this human right here and now, but he knows it's a bad idea for several reasons, the most important one being that he doesn't want to get you fired. He growls lowly at the human trying to scare him off and to show his anger at his comments about you. He didn't want to say anything to him in case it got you into trouble.

The human takes no notice though as he gets closer to the desk. "How much do you guys weigh anyway? I suppose I'll just pick one of you up to try and guess."

Oh stars no! He's about to try and grab one of them Blue realises.

No please. He takes a step back. He'd run but Berry is behind him and he won't let him be hurt. He hates it when people grab him. It feels like he doesn't have control over anything and he never knows what they're going to do to him. It's so suffocating and sometimes no matter how hard he pleads them to stop, to show him some mercy.

They ignore him and the pain continues.

His growling has turned more into a frightened whimper sounding noise as he realises he can't do anything to stop the human from grabbing them. The human is not seeing him as a threat, so he hopes that if he sees that he's frightened, he'll show him mercy and back off. The man is just seeing them as objects for his amusement however and he continues to approach.

Blue feels so trapped.

His eyelights are the size of pinpricks now as the man reaches the desk and begins reaching for him. Berry is shaking behind him. Blue closes his eyesockets tightly and braces for the feel of the humans fingers wrapping tightly around his body, cutting off his escape completely.

But it never comes. 

You had just arrived back into the room and once you saw what was going on, you ran in front of the desk and slapped the mans hand away. "What the hell do you think you're doing, Daniel? First of all why did you even enter my office when I wasn't in here? Did you even knock? Secondly, don't touch bitties without asking permission first. Can you not tell that neither of the bitties wish to be picked up or grabbed by you? Can you not see they're frightened? What is wrong with you? Ask permission to pick them up or to hold them and even then you ask me if I'm ok with you touching my bitties. They need to know I can trust you not to hurt them. You don't just grab one and presume they're ok with it." 

Blue notices the mans confusion and surprise at your anger. Humans like him never learn, do they? He's glad he doesn't have to deal with this sort of human anymore. You walk forwards and manage to back him out of the room as he continually steps back in shock of the outrage coming from you.

"Finally don't ever assume you can just waltz into my office whenever you feel like and take my stuff. Don't **ever** go near my bitties again!

The man is seriously surprised at your anger. Blue knows he's feeling threatened by you. He's happy you can stand up for yourself though he had guessed that anyway. "S-sorry Y/N. It won't happen again, I promise." Daniel tries to apologise. 

You sigh. "I'm not the one you should be apologizing to."

He looks behind you at him and Berry. "Sorry for trying to grab you." Blue doesn't feel any sorrow coming from Daniel though so he just glares at him not even acknowledging the humans apology. 

You look like you want to say something about the apology but instead you just shake your head. "So what did you want me for anyway?"

The other backs out of the room and enters the hallway. "N-No, it's o-ok Y/N. I can work it out myself." You raise an eyebrow. "You sure?"

He doesn't look sure at all. "Positive" is all he says as he shuts the door on the way out.

As soon as the door is shut, you immediately turn around to examine the bitties on the desk.

"I'm so sorry you had to deal with Daniel. He's a real pain in my neck most of the time, always borrowing my stuff without asking, giving me more work to do because sometimes he can't figure out the simplest things and then he makes me do them as well. Are you hurt, did he touch you at all? I swear if he did I'm going to-"

"No he didn't, you came in before he could do anything." Blue says. He doesn't want you to stay mad at the other for their sakes. It wasn't worth the stress it was caused you. "Thanks for saving us though. I really didn't like that human, he just tried to grab us as soon as he entered. I tried to get him to back away, but he didn't notice that I was threatening him or if he did he didn't listen to it. I hate being grabbed....."

You stroke Blues head gently.

"I know, Blue. That's why I got as angry as I did. You both deserve to be treated with respect and you're both important to me even if I've only known you both for a few days. Always remember that."

As you sit back down and comfort the two bitties, promising them that you won't let anything like that happen again, Blue just thinks of how happy he's feeling now that he's getting your affection and attention.

It's nice knowing that you are willing to fight others to protect him. He knows he'll do the same for you anyday should it come to that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Protecting your bitty friends like the great person you are! Give yourself a pat on the back you amazing person you :D.
> 
> Also did you notice Blue was acting a bit more like a common Baby Blue?
> 
> Next update will be extremely short I think. I've planned out certain chapters like this for..... reasons :). (Though new bitty isn't here quite yet sorry, soon though I promise)
> 
> Finally if any of you found that the chapter ended too abruptly, I'm sorry :1. I found that too but it was getting too long and I really wanted to get this update out so.... I was like it'll do!
> 
> Thanks for reading and I hope you found this update enjoyable.


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter about how your doing with the bitties now.

Y/N P.O.V

The week continued with hardly any problems. You got used to spending time with your bitty companions and you couldn't be happier with way your life is now that they are a part of it. Things are really improving for you now.

Blue and Berry continued to go to work with you for the rest of the week and really helped to improve your performance by continually encouraging and motivating you to keep going at it. 

Your boss didn't really notice or say anything about your improvements, but it still meant you wouldn't have to do any overtime for the week, meaning you had more time for the bitties. Also, you wouldn't have to put extra boring hours into the job, which you greatly appreciated.

Daniel didn't bother you while you worked anymore either. In fact, he would often end up doing small things for you during the week, like making you tea or just greeting you like a normal human being. He would continually apologise to you and to Blue and Berry, although you told him repeatedly that it was fine as long as he didn't do it again. Blue would still growl at him loudly when he approached you, which Daniel always noticed and he would end up backing off a bit. The other colleagues that used to drive you nuts also hadn't bothered you that much recently. They would still annoy you from time to time, but it was still a huge difference to what it had been.

Another change you found was that you became more confident and were willing to approach the colleagues you trusted, just to have a chat with them during your small break. Most would greet the bitties and fawn over them for a bit before talking about themselves and their own lives before asking you about yours. You never let them touch the bitties though, knowing that they wouldn't be comfortable with that and you wouldn't really be either.

You found you came home each day feeling more energised and you were even willing to do more exciting things with the bitties, like heading out to the park with them. 

Both Blue and Berry loved it there. You would pack a small basket of food and have a picnic on the grass. After eating, the three of you would lay back and watch the clouds go by, each of you pointing out different ones and chatting about what they looked like. It was very relaxing and it became your favourite thing to do with Blue and Berry.

While walking around there, you often saw humans walking around with their own bitties on their shoulders, in their bags and in one or two cases they were in strollers for some reason? 

You talked to the few that greeted you, most seeming to be caring owners who really adored their bitties. Blue and Berry always hid away from these humans and their bitties. You didn't mind this at all, after all you aren't going to force the two of them to talk to others if they don't want to. 

You noticed some of the bitties (especially the Baby Blues and Papys) were sad when they introduced themselves to your bitties and got nothing from them in response. You felt bad for them since they just wanted to be friendly after all, but if your bitties prefer not to talk to others you would support that. Maybe they'd be more willing to talk to others over time?

You continued to improve your relationship with Blue and Berry as you continued to bond over the different things you did throughout the week. 

Blue had actually helped you cook on one occasion. You could tell he really enjoyed it and you offered to let him join in again, though he declined saying he'd only be getting in the way or that he'd end up ruining the recipe. Since then you always tried to get him involved in some way, trying to encourage him to cook with you fully. Berry would also help. You could tell they both appreciated your efforts to involve them in this and in other things you would do around the house.

Blue also took it upon himself to keep you organised and on time for work, getting annoyed at you if you lazed about the house in the morning or if you didn't get up exactly when your alarm went off. 

You also noticed that sometimes you would enter a room to find it cleaned and you knew the two bitties were behind it, even if they always tried to deny it. It was nice to be able to walk around a spotless house for a change. It got quite messy sometimes when work was too exhausting for you to want to clean up.

They became more comfortable and confident around you everyday and basically spent all their time with you now.

Yep! Things couldn't be going better with your life now. 

You hope it continues like this for a while!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yep....
> 
> It's definitely not trying to set anything up.... Nothing will go wrong in the next chapter...  
> It's all good people. :)
> 
> Next chapter will be longer and definitely more exciting so please look forward to it!


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoo, a new update is finally here!
> 
> And it's exactly a month after I first uploaded the first chapter of this story. Thanks to all of you for reading. I hope you're enjoying it!

Y/N P.O.V.

The following Saturday, you are all sitting down eating lunch when there is a loud impatient knock on your front door.

You know that its most likely someone who you will end up complaining to you about something. Nobody you like ever visits on a Saturday. If it had been your family visiting, you know they would have rang in advance to let you know they were coming down, not to mention they would ring the doorbell. It can't be the mailman either, since you never get anything during the weekends. 

The knocking continues to get more aggressive as the person is left waiting outside.

Blue and Berry can see your worried face and are on your shoulders in an instant. They can tell you aren't too keen to answer the door and they most likely want to make sure your ok. You try to reassure them. "Maybe it's just one of the neighbours complaining about noise or something? It will probably only take a minute to sort out."

Berry frowns. "But we haven't been making any noise."

You sigh. "I know but sometimes other humans just find at times they need someone to yell at... and in this neighbourhood.... that's me."

Both bitties look slightly angered by that but you just shrug it off. Your used to it after all.

A female voice comes from outside the door. "I know somebody is home! Are you going to open the door or am I going to have to kick this damn thing down? I need to talk to someone in there."

You roll your eyes, that can't be the first time someone has threatened to kick the door down. You don't want to keep them waiting any longer in case they decide to go ahead with that threat, but a whimper from your right shoulder stops you in your tracks.

To say Berry looks terrified would be an understatement. The bitty has never trembled as hard as this before in the time he's been with you and he is clearly having breathing difficulties, so much so that your afraid if you don't get him down from your shoulder immediately, he's going to fall off of it.

Rushing back to the kitchen, you slowly scoop the Cherry bitty into your hands as gently as you can. Although you keep your palm open so he can move around and won't feel trapped, Berry still acts as if your hold is inescapable and actually begins lashing out a bit, clawing at your skin. Although the bitty's actions are hurting you and one particularly bad scratch actually draws blood from your hand, you refuse to just drop him and instead lay him gently on the table where he curls up shielding his skull in his hands. 

He continues to whimper and keeps apologizing over and over again for something, though you can't tell what it is. Blue rushes down off your shoulder to the table to help, trying to comfort the bitty with his presence.

You murmur to him affectionately, trying to calm him down. "Shh.... Berry, sweetheart... everything is alright, you're safe.... your in my kitchen remember..... nothing can hurt you in here."

You know one thing for sure. Berry recognises the voice outside the door and is clearly terrified of it. No way are you letting this woman into your home. 

Instead, you decide your going to have a nice 'friendly' chat with her outside the door once Berry feels better. If she wants anything to do with Berry, she'd have to get through you first.

Berry P.O.V.

His owner is here. 

But how? How did she find him? Oh stars no! No, don't take him back there again! He wants to stay with you and Blue. You may not be the one who officially adopted him but he knows that you truly do care for him, unlike her. She's just going to keep punishing him if he goes back. He can't deal with any more punishments. What if this time she hurt his leg so bad that it never heals? What if she dusts him? Don't let her take him!!

He knows he's panicking, but he can't calm down as he struggles to distinguish reality from his racing thoughts.

Everything becomes a blur he can tell he's moving, but he doesn't know why. Wait, someone is holding him. She's holding him isn't she!? No, he's not going back without a fight! He's not letting her take him away from ~~you~~ or Blue. He attacks the person that's carrying him, though they don't immediately let go of him or drop him, much to his dismay. ~~Why is her hand so soft and gentle?~~

He feels himself being put down and braces for the punishment that he knows is coming. He shouldn't have tried to fight back, he's just making everything harder and more painful for himself. Why does he keep trying to fight it. He's probably the stupidest bitty ever, no wonder he keeps getting punished.

....

Wait......why is nothing happening?

He can just about hear someone saying something. "Berry...everything is alright.... safe." 

That voice. He feels safer hearing it. It doesn't sound angry, but reassuring? He knows that the voice is trusting, but he can't figure out why.

And Berry? Why did he recognise that name?

....

Name!? That's right its his name, the one you gave him! And your calling out to him! Your here, not her! He's still safe in your house!

Blue is here too, he realises. The other bitty is looking at him with worried, shaking eyelights. 

Wait, why is he looking at him like that? What just happened?

He spots you shielding your hand close to your chest as you look down at him worriedly. 

Just like she did on the day she threw him out.

Oh no. He looks down at his hands covered in your blood. He... he hurt you. Berry starts wailing as he realises what he's done. He hadn't meant to hurt you. He'd been convinced that you were her when he had lashed out. That she had taken him back. But now...

Now you are definitely going to give him back. Berry has no doubts about that. Why would you want to keep a bad bitty like him who hurt you? He's truly the worst bitty ever, he only seems to be good at hurting everyone around him.

Wait... why are you cuddling him? Why are you still whispering words of comfort and love to him? Don't you realise he's dangerous and could lash out at you again? Berry knows he needs to get away from you in case he accidentally ends up hurting you again. But.....he's just too comfortable in your hold to let go. 

Berry clings onto the hoodie your wearing tightly as he sobs. He can still hear the knocking and yelling outside the door and he's afraid of what will happen when you go and open it. He knows his owner is not going to leave before you do. She's too stubborn for that. She'll stay until she gets what she wants and Berry has a pretty good idea of what that is. 

Him.

He shudders at that thought and clings onto you tighter. "P-please, I'm s-sorry for hurting you. I won't ever do it again b-but.... don't let her take me again. I'm sorry, I, I-"

You stroke his back with your fingers and continue to comfort and shush him. "Shh, Berry... it's fine it's just a small cut... and I'm not going to give you to the human outside the door, no matter what. Just please breathe for me, you're going to be fine, I promise." You look towards the door, a dark expression on your face. "That woman has hurt you, hasn't she Berry? Is she the reason your leg was so badly injured?"

Berry is scared that you'll react badly if he says anything so instead he just shakily nods his head.

You sigh heavily. "Ok Berry. Thank you for telling me. Don't worry, I'm not going to let her hurt you again, but I am going to give her a piece of my mind in a minute once your calmer. You can wait in here or upstairs in the bitty house if you'd prefer while I go talk to her. I want her to know she's not allowed to go anywhere near you from now on..... Shh... just relax, Berry. I'm going to sort this out, ok?" 

Berry really doesn't feel comfortable with the thought of you going anywhere near his owner. What if she hurt you too?

"D-Don't..." he says shakily. "S-She'll hurt you... I d-don't w-want that to h-happen to you, b-because of m-m-me."

You rub his skull in a soothing matter and look into his red eyelights as you continue to speak with him. "It's because I care about you and your safety that I'm doing this. I'll be fine, I have my phone on me and I'll threaten to ring the police should she try and enter the house without my consent. Hopefully we can sort this out peacefully though."

Berry is still unsure, but he trusts that you won't let him be taken by her again, especially because he can feel the anger coming from your soul directed at her. He knows that you can look after yourself as well but he's still worried about what she might to do to you.

After a few more minutes Berry feels calmer, even if he can still hear his owner knocking at the door. She's so persistent, but why? He thought she hated him. She hadn't come looking for him for weeks and she had practically left him to dust on her doorstep, so why look for him now?

She is still getting louder. "Berry." You call to him. "I need to sort this out, so I'm going to open the door and talk to her now. Are you both ok sitting here for a few minutes?"

Blue P.O.V.

No way is Blue going to let you face this human alone, especially since they have hurt Berry in such a bad way. "Y/N, I'm coming with you and I won't be taking no for an answer. It's Berry she's after, not me. I won't have you facing this threat alone." He climbs back onto your shoulder. "Your our human and I'm going to protect you whenever I can."

You look conflicted. "Blue I really don't think it's a good idea..." You trail off when you see the bitty's determined face. 

"Ok fine, but if anything goes badly wrong you have to promise me you'll come straight back inside the house and take Berry with you to hide."

He lets out a sigh in relief, happy that you're not arguing with him on this. He knows if anything goes wrong he'll try and defend you too, but he knows you want to hear that he'll protect Berry first. Why you keep putting their needs and safety above your own, he'll never understand. It's just the type of person you are, he supposes. "I promise."

"Good." You gently place Berry down on the table again, giving him one last pet before you turn to leave. "No matter what you hear coming from the hallway don't come out. You don't need to interact with her ever again. If you want to grab something to eat from the pantry, you can. I know we just had lunch but maybe it'll help you relax a bit."

Berry sniffles and nods at this. Blue hopes he'll be ok. He has never seen the other so panicked before and he's still shocked that he hurt you. He's glad that your ok and that the injury isn't too painful. He was afraid that you'd get mad at Berry, but he should have known better, you only ever got mad at other humans it seemed. You just keep surprising him.

You stop before the door and Blue braces for what's about to come as you open it. The woman standing there is giving off a bad aura and Blue does not like the feelings coming from her soul.

You give the woman a fake smile. Blue can tell you're already disgusted by her. "Can I help you with something?" You ask.

The woman scoffs at you. "Seriously? That's what you say after you leave someone banging on your door for 15 minutes? Do you not have any respect for your elders?"

"Sorry, but I was in the shower." you lie.

The lady rolls her eyes, but doesn't comment on it. "Anyways I saw you in the park the other day with a bitty that belongs to me." She looks straight at Blue and he growls lowly at her, causing her to flinch back in disgust. "Not this foul one on your shoulder though. My Cherry wouldn't act that way. I've trained him better than that."

You try and remain composed, though Blue can tell you're holding back many emotions right now. Your smile drops slightly as you shield Blue from the woman by turning away from her. "I would appreciate if you didn't speak to Blue like that, please."

She stares at you for a moment before looking away. "Whatever. Anyways, my bitty? Where is he?" 

Blue can't stand these types of humans. No manners and no patience, they annoy him so much! He really wants you to tell her to get lost already.

"Can I ask how you managed to lose the Cherry in the first place?" You ask her suspiciously.

Blue feels a bit of nervousness coming from the woman's soul for a second before she responds. "I lost him the other day while I was out shopping. I must have put him down when I was paying for the clothes I bought. I've been looking for him ever since."

'Wow.' Blue thinks. This human is a terrible liar! He's known a lot of terrible humans over his lifetime and most of them were pretty good at lying. ~~They kind of had to be in order to adopt him in the first place though...~~

Your eyes narrow in suspicion. "I have a **VERY** hard time believing that. So I suppose he just happened to greatly injure his leg so much so that it's going to scar while you were you shopping?"

The woman looks taken aback, before she begins scowling at you. "What I do with my bitty is none of your business. I'll be taking him back now." She tries to get passed you into the house, but Blue is quicker. He sends out a bone attack on the floor in warning should she take one more step. You also step to the side blocking her path.

"Thanks Blue." You say, your eyes still fixated on the woman in front of you.

You start getting angry at the woman now. "Listen here **miss**. If you attempt to take one step into my property I will be calling the police."

The woman glares at the two of you angrily, annoyed she's not getting her way. "I'm not leaving without my bitty. I'll have you know that I'm the legal owner of the Cherry and should you refuse to give him to me, I will sue you and take you to court over stolen property." The woman smirks knowing that she has the upper hand in this argument.

Y/N P.O.V.

Dammit! You know the woman isn't bluffing about that. If that does happen, unless you can prove that this woman hurt Berry to some jury, you'll have to give him back to her. You know you'll never win a case like that. Bitties are basically considered property and even if Berry managed to testify about her actions, the jury wouldn't be obliged to listen to his opinion on the matter since bittys don't have any rights. And his injured leg won't prove that she abused him. They could just say it happened anywhere. They'd make you give Berry to this awful woman for sure. Shit!

You need to come up with something that doesn't involve any authorities getting involved or else Berry is going to be taken away from you and he'll end up living with this horrible witch again and get abused for the rest of his life. Maybe bribery would work?

"How much do you want for him. I'm willing to pay a decent amount, but we'll have to sign a contract stating I'm the legal owner and you have to hand the adoption papers over to me."

She looks as if she's about to argue but instead she smiles. "Fine. If your willing to deal with the little brat that much, then you can keep him. He's a pain in the ass anyway so don't come crying back to me if he doesn't do a thing you tell him to. But if you want him you'll have to pay me the figure I ask in cash today or I'm taking him with me now." She pauses as she thinks of a figure. "I want 3000 dollars"

3000!? You know for a fact you don't even have to pay 10 per cent of that when you normally adopt a bitty from a shelter. You'd argue with her over this, but your not risking Berry's safety. You know you'll pay any price to keep him safe.

Blue looks worried and is obviously scared you may give up on Berry over this. You would never do that though.

You are slightly worried about how you're going to pay rent and afford food for a while, but you'll manage it. Anything to keep the bitties safe.

"Fine. I'll pay that. But I want to see the documents first so I know you won't just take the money, run and then try to sue me later. Grab them and come back here. I'll have the money ready on your return."

She looks surprised that you agreed. "I can't believe this sucker is willing to pay so much over some worthless bitty." She mumbles loud enough for you to hear, but you ignore it. "I'll get them, but if I find you just planned to run off with the Cherry the moment I leave, then I will be calling the police."

You roll your eyes at the suggestion. This woman knows where you live, how can you just run away?

"I'll be here."

The woman storms off and you slam the door. That was nerve wrecking, but at least Berry is still safe in the house.

Blue speaks from on your shoulder. He sounds relieved, but confused. "Your willing to pay that much to protect Berry, but how will you be able to afford anything afterwards? Aren't you worried about yourself and your needs?"

You can tell Blue doesn't understand why you are being so nice to them. You put him gently into your hands to explain it to him better, being careful not to touch the injured one too much as you do so.

"Blue, I'm willing to spend all my money if it means keeping you two safe. Sure, things might be rough for a while but I'll find a way to deal with it." You smile at him. 

"Don't worry, we'll all be fine. And I'll be happy as long as you and Berry stay by my side." You hug him close. "Thanks for helping me deal with her and for always sticking by my side."

Blue beams at you, happy to be getting praised. "You can count on me, Y/N! Me and Berry will be here for you."

You cuddle him happily. "I know you will be. Let's go see if Berry is alright now."

Entering the room, you see Berry has moved from the kitchen table where you left him to the counter, where he is quietly eating a strawberry he got for himself.

He stiffens when he sees you, probably scared you'll come with bad news. "Berry, it's ok, your not going back to your old owner. I'm going to pay her so she'll give me your adoption papers and then she'll never bother you again."

Berry relaxes and smiles up at you with stars in his sockets. "Really I get to stay with you and you'll become my official owner?"

"Well it's true that I'll be named as your owner, but I don't want you to see me as that. Think of me as your caretaker instead."

Berry just looks overjoyed that he gets to stay. "Thank you, thank you, thank you, Y/N!!! I promise you won't regret it. I'll help you whenever I can, I'll be really useful and-"

You cut him off. "Berry, sweetie, you don't have to do anything for me. I'm happiest when your happy, so just keep being my cheerful, little Berry. That's all you need to do for me. You don't need to prove yourself, your perfect just the way you are" You look over to your other bitty. "You too, Blue."

Both bitties blush and then attempt to cover up their embarrassment by hiding their faces in the scarfs you had bought them. You giggle at their actions. They're sooo cute!!!

You don't want to ruin this moment, but you know you should probably start organising the money. The quicker you get this sorted out, the better it will be for everyone, especially Berry.

"I think I have a bit of cash in my room that I had saved up over the years in case of a rainy day. I'll also need to take some money from my purse to pay her."

You look away from the bitties. You really don't want to talk to them about this next bit right now but you know it needs to be said. "I'm not going to lie to you both. I'm not exactly rich and the money I'm using now I would normally use to pay for necessities. Things might be rough for a while."

You can see Berry looking ashamed at this, obviously feeling like this is all his fault.

"But, hey." You say perking up a bit. "I can always work a bit more. Just a few extra hours a day should be enough to pay for everything I'd say. We'll get through this!"

Berry and Blue frown at that. "But Y/N. We can tell the job your already working at is tiring enough for you. Your pushing yourself too hard already! If you do anymore you might collapse from exhaustion." Blue exclaims.

You think about that possibility for a second before shaking your head and smiling. "It'll be fine. I'm not THAT overworked." 

Blue gives you a 'really' look before he sighs deeply. "If you say so. But if I find you falling asleep on the job, I won't be impressed." 

The three of you head upstairs to gather the money. You know Berry feels bad that you're spending this much money on him and he keeps apologizing over and over for it, saying he's going to make it up to you someday. You tell him it isn't his fault and that you would rather go flat broke then let him be hurt by her again. 

Why any adoption centre would let bitties be adopted by such nasty individuals you would never understand, they really needed to do better checks on people.

You're just finishing gathering up the money in your room when there is loud knocking on the front door. 

"Look who's back already." you mumble unhappily to the bitties. "Let's put an end to this. Berry, you can wait in here while we sort this out."

You're about to leave him down on your bed when he suddenly clings to your hand. "Wait! I... I want to go too."

You look questionably at the bitty. "But  
Berry, why would you want to do that? This woman has hurt you and you probably shouldn't see her again for your own safety."

Berry looks down at his feet. "I know, Y/N. But I want her to know that I forgive her for what she did to me, but that she isn't my owner anymore and that I'm happier with you."

Your amazed by his sudden bravery considering the sound of her voice gave him a panic attack earlier.

"Berry, she doesn't exactly deserve your forgiveness. You could've lost your leg, because of her you know that right?" Berry nods at this but he still looks eager to come with you. You know you won't be persuading him otherwise.

"But I can tell this is important for you and that your determined to talk to her. If you feel like you need to get away any time, please tell me and I'll be sure to go straight back inside. Promise me you will?"

Satisfied with Berry's confirmation that he'll tell you if anything is wrong, you head back downstairs to open the front door. 

Berry is being very brave, but he still tries to hide a bit on your shoulder as you open it. Blue stands protectively in front of the other as he always does when there's any danger. You know that if the woman tries to grab Berry, Blue will stop her and that thought helps to relax you greatly.

You open the door and the woman practically shoves the documents in your face. "I brought them, so where's my money?"

Man, this woman is impatient and she's really pissing you off. "Give me a minute to make sure that everything is here and correct and then I'll give it to you."

The adoption papers are authentic, you have no doubt about that. You take a moment to study the other information on it such as the adoption date and where he was adopted from. Your disgusted that Berry has had to deal with abuse from this woman for a few months. Your glad that your able to take him from her now.

As you study it, the woman notices Berry behind Blue and sneers at him. "It looks like you actually came out to see me this time Cherry. Were you too afraid to face me before, because I kicked you out?" She looks at you as you continue to read the document. "It's no wonder this girl your with wants to keep such a weak, pathetic bitty like you. Your both annoying, rude and you don't know any respect for others. Honestly, you two were made for each other."

You stay quiet as the woman throws insult after insult at you and Berry. You'd argue with her on yours and Berry's behalf, but you really don't want to make this progress any harder than it already is.

Berry on the other hand looks like he's heard enough. He steps forward a bit, in front of Blue and clenching his hands into fists, he stares at the woman angrily. His eyelights look like their on fire and..... is that magic you can see glowing in them? He looks full on ready to attack her at a moments notice.

"Listen here, **mama**." He practically hisses at her as he calls her that. You know quite a few bitties call their owners by mama, but it makes you sad knowing that Berry once may have actually cared for this terrible person and gave her that name lovingly.

"You can say as many terrible things as you like to me, but don't **ever** disrespect Y/N. She's been kinder to me in the last week than you have been during the entire time I lived with you. You don't know anything about her. She's kind, patient and always makes sure that my needs are fulfilled, which you never did. She's the best human I can ask for and so much better than you in every way." He hugs you a small bit as he continues. "I'm so thankful for everything she's done for me and Blue."

Berry's talk is leaving you speechless. You had no idea the bitty cared so much about you, but you know he means every word of that he's saying. On any other occasion, you may have even teared up because you're so happy that they care for you, but your not going to in front of the woman.

Berry looks towards her and smiles sadly. "I wish you could've been more like her, but I guess some humans never change. I want you to know that I forgive you anyway for the things you did, even when you really hurt me. But I've moved on. I'm staying with Y/N and Blue. I'm never going to come crying back to you, like you thought I would do. I'm a different Cherry than the one you adopted a few months ago. Oh and by the way, my name is Berry now, a name that Y/N gave me and one that I cherish, so I'd prefer you to call me by that now."

The woman looks astounded for a second that Berry is standing up to her, but she brushes it off and scoffs. "Whatever Berry." She says mockingly. "Have fun with your new human, but don't ever think of coming near my house again. Your not welcome there anymore." 

Berry smiles at her. "I wouldn't dream of it."

She looks up at you, clearly done with this conversation. "So can I sign this thing, get my money and go already. I'm a very busy woman and I don't have all day."

You hold out the piece of paper towards her. "Here, just do it." Your patience is wearing thin at this point.

She snatches it off you and taking a pen you offer her, she signs it. You decide to make one of the points on the contract clear to her so she doesn't come back again. "It also says that you won't bother me about this matter again after this, so I don't want you showing up to my house and demanding to see Berry ever again. Do I make myself clear?"

She rolls her eyes at this suggestion. "As if I'd want to see him again after stabbing me in the back like this. Its clear your the favourite human around here. He's not my problem anymore anyway, so I don't really care. I only got him because my stupid ex-boyfriend loved bitties for some idiotic reason and I was trying to impress him. Of course, that didn't stop him breaking up with me a week after the adoption, stupid asshole. But now, I'm with someone much better. Sadly, he also seems to like bitties and I told him I had one which is why I began looking for Cherry or I guess Berry as you call him. But I'm sure with the money I'm earning from this now I can get him and myself something nice and-" 

You really don't want to hear another word of this. You practically throw the money in the woman's hands and angrily shut the door in her face. She adopted Berry just to try and impress some men? Honestly, you shouldn't be surprised, but your mad that Berry wasn't given any love by her at all. She only wanted Berry around when there was someone to impress, so he's basically a showpiece to her. You're truly disgusted by these types of people.

"The money better all be here or I'm not going to leave you alone." You hear her yell from outside.

After about 5 minutes of counting, the woman seems satisfied with the money and you watch out the window as she finally exits the front gate, hopefully leaving you alone for good.

You hug the bitties close, relieved that everything is ok now. "Phew, at least that's behind us now and we don't have to worry about it happening again."

You smile down at Berry, happy that he gets to stay with you but also overjoyed about all the things he said about you. "I'm so glad I mean so much to you Berry! Thank you for standing up for me in front of your old owner. You were very brave to be able to do that so soon after what she did to you."

You nuzzle him affectionately. "I'm so proud of you."

Berry beams at the praise and cuddles into your hold. "I'd defend you any day, Y/N! I want you to know I meant everything I said a minute ago. You're the best Y/N, so thank you for everything you do for us! We'll do our best for you too!"

Blue nods at that and thanks you as well. You feel yourself tearing up. "Guys, stop, you're going to make me cry! But thank you for staying with me and for trusting me. I'm definitely doing better now that your both a part in my life, so I should be thanking you for being with me too."

As you just stand there cuddling the bitties close, you wonder for a bit about the changes you may have to make in order to survive the next few months. You are a bit worried, but you know everything is going to turn out fine.

You've got two amazing bitties by your side after all. You know they'll stick with you through anything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thankfully the encounter wasn't that bad and everything is going to be fine now for you and the bitties. Sure you might have to change a few things in order to survive but things are going to get better..... right?
> 
> Please leave comments to let me know what you think and leave theories about what you think will happen next. Those are always a joy to read :D.
> 
> Have a great day and stay safe!


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> An EXTREMELY short chapter describing the aftermath of the visit and the effect it's had on your life.
> 
> All your point of view again.
> 
> Hope these short chapters don't annoy you too much, but sometimes they're needed. I don't think I have any more chapters in this arc that will be this short, hopefully.
> 
> Enjoy!

Y/N P.O.V.

Things are definitely different now because of the encounter you had with that awful woman, but you're still able to get through life and pay for all your needs despite everything. You managed to somehow quickly find another job that you can do late at night for just a few short hours and for a bit during weekends. This one just involved you dealing with customers at a small food shop in the city centre. Your just glad it's not more numbers or writing things down. Sure, some days you had to deal with an annoying customer complaining about something, but the fact that you always worked with another person made it easier. They would often step in to sort out these problems, much to your relief. They were a lot nicer than your other co-workers in your other job, that's for sure. It was pretty quiet most of the time during your shift anyway, so it wasn't too straining on you. When you get back each day, your still pretty exhausted but it's not as bad as it could be, much to the bitties relief.

You can tell Blue and Berry are slightly annoyed and upset that they aren't allowed to go to this job with you. The manager wasn't too keen on the idea and if you're honest with yourself, you didn't want the bitties to feel they have to come with you to this job that ran quite late into the night. You wanted them to go to sleep at a reasonable hour. You should be the only one suffering from lack of sleep after all, they didn't need to keep awake for you. They spend some of the time on the phone you gave them or they relax in the bitty house, since they don't use it very often when you're around.

You had promised Blue and Berry that you'd ring them frequently while you work to let them know how you're getting on and that you're still safe. They, in turn, promise you to be asleep by the time you get home every day, though sometimes you can swear you see Blue's eyelights staring at you as you come into the room each night. Neither Blue or Berry ever react when you pick them up and lay them on your chest as you go to sleep. When you wake up in the morning, you always get a million questions about your walk home the previous night or if there's been any trouble at work. 

You try to reassure them that your fine walking home alone, after all you've been out at night a million times before in the city. You knew you'd be fine as long as you didn't go down any side streets. 

You have to admit though..... you are curious about a particular alley that you've been hearing quite a bit of noise down every time you've passed it recently. You're a naturally curious human and all the cheering and exciting yelling has piqued your interest. Normally, if people are trying to hide that they're doing something illegal they'd be quieter wouldn't they?

Maybe you'll check it out tomorrow if you hear any noise from there again......

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leading up to something big here folks!
> 
> Grab your popcorn and take a seat because we're about to go on a fun ride!


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're at the double digits now everyone. We've gotten this far so let's see what I have in store for the next few chapters.  
> *Reads through summaries*  
> .....  
> Um...... I'm sorry. It might be rough for a bit.
> 
> This chapter was hard to write and I mean that from an emotional standpoint.  
> You'll see what I mean in a minute.
> 
> I apologise in advance.
> 
> Warnings for bitty abuse and slight suicidal thoughts in this chapter.
> 
> If anyone needs a summary of the events I can give one.
> 
> ...
> 
> Enjoy :')

??? P.O.V.

He's so tired. And not just because he never sleeps for more than three hours at most in a day. He's tired of life. Why he's able to stick at it every day still confuses him. He has to be holding on to some kind of hope if he's still alive. 

He'd just be a pile of dust otherwise.

He's currently lying on his side in the cramped cage where his owner has kept him for most of his life. He's trying to keep himself occupied by kicking his legs and humming to himself every so often. 

Anything is better than staring at the basement door in fear, thinking bad thoughts while he waits for his owner to come down with food. Some days he wouldn't come at all, though he has a feeling he would bring him food today. He feels like it's around that time of the week again, the part he hates most. He's lost all sense of time down here though. It's always dark down here.

The food he is given is nearly always inedible and sometimes it comes with a punishment if he doesn't eat it quick enough. This is so he can't check to see if it's been tampered with in any way. His owner wants an obedient, quiet bitty after all. 

On some of his particularly bad days where he can barely move due to injuries he's sustained, he'll be violently force fed. Those days tended to happen way too often for his liking.

Sometimes, he'd attempt to escape from this hell hole, but if he's honest with himself he gave up on really trying to do that a long time ago. There is never enough time to get away and thanks to the stupid tracking device his owner had managed to install into his collar some time ago, he only ever manages to get just outside the house before the human is always alerted that he's gotten out. After that he's caught again and then comes the extreme pain as he's punished for daring to try and escape.

Protecting himself with magic is completely out of the question during these escape plans. The collar stops him from accessing most of it, only giving him enough to survive. 

Unless he's in the fighting rings, that is. Then it comes flooding back to him, so much so it always takes him a second to get used to it before he can do anything. Then he's finally able to properly use it to attack, defend and to....... 

He stares down at his scarred, chipped hands. How many lives has he taken with his magic? How many bitties who were stuck in the same situation as he is has he cut down, just so he could survive another day? How much dust is on his hands?

So why? Why does his soul keep beating in his ribcage? What hope can he possibly have in his miserable life that was keeping him going? Maybe it's just his own survival instincts kicking in and telling him he doesn't want to die. Hell if he knows. ~~Why hold onto any hope? H̵͓͕̦͉͊̇͛͋e̵̗̬͓̺̓̇'̶̭͍͙͖̊̓̓s̴̝̼͖̈́͛͌ ̴̛̩̝̹̎̎̊͜m̵͔̺͉͇͆͝ộ̴̻͗͘s̴̲͋̐t̸̠̽̄ ̸̮͚̲̣̔l̸̻͔͠i̸̛̦̟̿͘k̷͚̪̳̄̍e̴̼̙̐̍͂̒l̸͌̌ͅy̴͕͔͌ ̴̧̭̳̝̏͛d̶̜̹͊̑̈e̴͔͚̬͕͆a̷̻͂d̶̢͚̀ ḁ̶̣̬̑͐̄̿̉͘f̴̛͔̲̫̍̓ţ̴̙̜͈͈̫̪̽ȇ̸̠͇̪͌͛̓̒͊r̸͔̟̪̜̗̓̊ ̷̢̙̲̱͔͐͂̒̈̆̒a̶̘̗̱͌͗͌ļ̵̤̳̼͙̰͈͒͊͗l.~~

Ah great, that is exactly what he didn't want to think about. He trembles as tears begin falling down his face. Thinking all these bad thoughts really aren't helping him in anyway. They're just making his awful existence harder. He needs to calm down before his owner comes in a minute. The asshole always got pissed at him when he panicked and punished him for it.

Ok, deep breaths. L̸̨͝i̵̧͖̻̼͑̐͜ͅk̵̠̟̤̖̹̹ë̴͓̲͙̠́̒̄͆̔̂ ̴̱̠̻̘͖̳̅̿͗͑̃y̷̬̭̜̯̹̣̿͠o̵̞̙͉̺͖̹̽̍͂u̷̲̣͍͇͆̈́ͅ ̴͈̼̭͌̉͋̎̑͠ţ̶̧̪̭͖̂͂̓̊̽â̸̬̻ù̷̫̊g̴̙͋h̷̨̺̝͖̰͑̉̍̉́̈́͜t̵̖̗͖̗͕̃̅ ̵̡̰̭̦̔̏h̷̢̢̹̙͖̺̊̄̈͝į̶̧̪̈́m̴͕̪̤͙͉̑͒͂͂͘͜ ̷͔̣͚͛̕̕t̷͙̙̼͚̳̝͗̈́̓͂̕ȍ̸͙̘̋̄ ̷͚͕̞́̎̽͆͒d̶̡̹͙̜̳̎́̀͆͗͜͝ọ̴̧̡̠̹̒̽͑͊͝.̵̨̺̃͂̐̄  
In and out. In and out.  
He follows this pattern for a bit and is able to calm himself down to a reasonable state. 

Stars, he's a mess isn't he. He's been broken in every way possible. He barely even struggles anymore when he's grabbed by humans. He just allows the abuse he receives on a daily basis. Why delay an inevitable punishment that he can't stop? Fighting back just made everything worse. Easier to just do what he's told and survive another day, if this could even be called surviving.

His clothes have been ripped to shreds from battle after battle. They've never been changed from the time he was 'adopted'. 

That thought receives a small, broken and bitter chuckle from him. The thought that he was _apparently_ adopted by kind and loving humans that would care for him. Yeah right, what a joke. Then explain his situation right now. Explain why his scarred, battered frame is lying alone in a cage in some basement, never seeing the light of day. Explain why he has to kill others so he can keep living. Is it kind to watch a sentient being suffer and die because they found it entertaining? To watch them fight one another to see who's the strongest so they can maybe earn a bit of cash at the end of it? Humans truly are the worst. They have taken e̶͈͇̅v̵̺͉̭̰̿̍̓e̵̝͒̂̋r̸̢͙̒̇̓͝y̷̯̌̎͠t̷͉̥̻͚͝h̴͚̒͜i̶̭͆̈́̆̍ǹ̸̚͘̕͜ġ̵̺̳͖̟ from him.

He hears keys jangling from outside the door and immediately stands up on high alert. His owner steps into the room holding a bag in his hand, most likely containing the food for him. The bitty watches him carefully, looking for sudden movements or signs that he's agitated. He doesn't appear to be intoxicated today, which relaxes him slightly. He still has to be wary though, he knows him very well and his mood could shift very easily.

"Hey Killer. Brought you some food, so you better eat it. We've got a big day tomorrow and I need you at full strength, so I don't have time to deal with any of your bullshit today."

He winces at the name as always. Why did he have to call him that? It's bad enough that he has to kill and greatly injure others to survive, but to be reminded of it constantly by a name his owner gave him is just the worst. He'd rather be named something degrading or idiotic then 'Killer.' At least that wouldn't depress him as much.

He flinches as the cage is opened and the bag is slid in next to him. He opens it cautiously to find a sandwich inside. It's actually looks edible.

All this means one thing. He really had been hoping it wasn't going to be the case, but good food confirmed a fight was going to happen tomorrow. His owner only ever fed him properly the day before a big fight. He'll try to not think about that too much. It would only end up panicking him again in front of his owner and that's the last thing he wants to do right now.

The bitty grabs the sandwich and wolfs it down greedily before the other can do anything else. Sometimes he would take the food away from him as punishment if he wasn't fast enough so he wasn't going to waste any time.

"This bitty fight is late at night tomorrow and there's a big cash prize at the end of it for me if you win. I've been told that bitties just need to knock the other one out to win each match. Killing isn't required this time. A shame you can't show off your skills to the best of your ability, but as long as we win I don't really care." He's relieved to hear he doesn't have to kill, but he doesn't show it as he continues to eat, eventually finishing off the sandwich. 

All of a sudden, he's violently grabbed and pressed hard against the side of the cage. Instinctively, he tries to reach for magic to protect himself, but of course there's none there. He squirms for a bit before going limp in the others hold. No point in making this worse for himself. He's powerless to stop anything from happening while he's being held so tightly by the other. He braces himself for what's to come.

"I don't think I need to remind you what will happen if you fail me tomorrow Killer, but I'll give you a warning anyway. Mess this up and you'll be in for a world of pain." He squeezes the collar around the bitties neck. "And you know exactly what I'm referring to. I don't have to give you all this food and attention, you know. I could be a whole lot worse than this. So don't give me a reason to be."

With that said he throws the bitty to the back of the cage and locks it again. The bitty curls up in pain and watches as his owner storms off again, slamming the basement door shut and leaving him alone. He hates the fact that there is a small part of him that wants his owner to come back and be near him again. He curses the fact that he requires human contact to remain alive and that his magic craves it all the time. Stupid bitty needs.

He crawls over to the corner of the cage that is furthest away from the opening and lies down again. Every part of him hurts. He really wants all this to end. This constant pain. So why does he not have it in him to end it all? Why will he still fight tomorrow despite being somewhat willing to just give up? 

He closes his eyesockets and sighs in realisation as the answer hits him. His soul won't give up, because he's afraid of breaking the promise he made and having to face him after all this is over. He had promised he wouldn't give up and that he'd get out one day and come looking for him. That felt like such a long time ago. He had thought that he'd be able to follow shortly after and they'd be free and happy together with him protecting the other from harm like he always had. 

Of course, life had other plans for him as his owner had made escaping impossible since then. He wasn't going to have his prized, money-making bitty walk out on him like the other had. He's too valuable to his human, he knows that he's strong for a bitty and can pretty easily defeat most others quickly.

Sometimes to make his life even more miserable, the human would bring up the other bitty and tease him about it. He'd say things like how the other was most likely dead, because there was no way a wimp like him was surviving in the city alone. How he couldn't believe the other simply left him considering they were supposed to be so close and how useless he had been since his cheery optimism didn't seem to do him any good anyway. He said that he abandoned him like a coward and didn't care for him at all. Everything he says are complete lies. The times he speaks of the bitty are the only reason that he fights against his owner anymore. He isn't allowing him to speak about the other like that. The human knows **nothing** about him.

When he had reached in to grab him the other day after teasing him about it again, he had bit the human **hard**. He was punished for this of course and was in agony for a while after, but he smirks now as he remembers the damage he did to his hand. He's pretty sure he's still wearing a bandage from it and he hasn't said a word about the other bitty since. Good. That was totally worth the pain he had gone through afterwards. He doesn't get to speak about him that way.

Lying against the cold metal of the cage, he thinks about how easy it would be to break the promise and just end it all now. But in honour of the other bitty, he doesn't plan on doing so anytime soon. He just hopes he'll be able to face him after everything he's done. He hopes he'll still forgive him like he always had done, knowing that he didn't have a choice in the matter. 

Stars, he misses him. Sometimes a selfish part of him wishes the other could still be with him here, so at least he's not alone. He had always found a way to cheer him up, even on some of the really bad days. But he's glad he got him out of here. He didn't deserve to waste away here too. He deserved a chance at happiness. After all, he hadn't killed anyone like he has.

He smiles just a bit, remembering some of the good times he'd spent with the other. He'd keep on going for him, maybe things would change one day and he'd finally be free. He hopes so, but knows it's highly unlikely. ~~He'll be dead before that happens.~~

Drifting off to sleep, he thinks about the other, wishing he can see him again if only for a second.

For his brother's sake, he would keep on living.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And you all thought the woman was bad!! 
> 
> Ahh yes, this chapter. The poor boy. I feel so bad for him. I hope his hopelessness comes across at the beginning of the piece.
> 
> I'm sure it's pretty obvious who this is by now but I'd still like to hear your theories down below. As I said, I'm not the best at plot twists so whoops, sorry it's so predictable. Tell me also about how angered you are at this guy!!


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Over 100 kudos?!?!
> 
> Seriously you guys are amazing, thank you so much!!!! I hope you'll continue to enjoy what I have planned for the story.
> 
> I'm afraid there is more bitty abuse in this chapter though. Happiness will come shortly though I promise.
> 
> Enjoy :3.

Walking home alone from work through the city streets, you once again hear some kind of commotion coming from the alley nearby. This is happening way too often recently and your curiosity is at it's peak. You want to know what's going on in your city.

You aren't really one to take many risks in your life so you had prepared for this situation the day before. If you ever feel like you're in danger walking around the city, you pack a heavy book in your handbag. Sure it doesn't look like much of a weapon, but swing it hard enough at your victim and it becomes one! That random four hundred page hard back book had quickly become your most trusted weapon of sorts after you found it one day. Most of the time you didn't have to use it anyways. It's just a precaution really.

You had also worn darker clothes to work today. They would hopefully allow you to blend into the shadows easier so you could just see what was going on back there without anyone noticing you. 

Staring down the alley you steel yourself fot what you may see down there. You have your phone in one hand and the book in the other, just in case. You take a deep breath and begin walking towards the sounds of cheering and yelling. Your really hoping it's just some stupid adults doing something slightly idiotic that isn't going to cause any damage to themselves, others or any of the nearby buildings. 

Whatever it is, you'll find out shortly.

??? P.O.V

Humans shout and roar all around him as he prepares for the battle he's about to have. He's on the final match now. As usual, he's disgusted at himself for fighting the other bitties with all he's got just for these sick humans entertainment. All the bitties he faces fight with the same amount of energy as he does, going easy on any of them will mean he'll end up getting highly injured. He can't afford to give too much mercy to the others, no matter how much he wants too. 

Most of the bitties he faced were Edgy types, though occasionally he'd find himself against a different opponent. Right now, standing on the opposite side of the ring is a Lil Bro, his arm out ready and waiting for the match to begin. 

Just like him. 

It's like looking at his mirror image. Both are tired, bruised and battered, each wearing a magic restriction collar that would be turned off any second now, signifying the beginning of the match. The only difference that tells them apart are the colour of these collars. The others is a light orange colour, a colour more to his preference then the one he's got on at the moment, which is black. 

The other bitty glares at him in hate, standing at his tallest to try and size him up. He just stares back unimpressed. It's a bad attempt to intimidate him. He stopped being scared of the other bitties in the ring a long time ago. 

He's scared of himself and what he ends up doing to them. 

Still, looking at him more closely, he notices that the other is not quite as scarred as he is. He looks younger, slightly more energetic. He clearly hasn't been doing this as long as he has. He may have gotten to the final match, but he stood little chance against someone with more experience than him. He sighs quietly, slightly confusing the other bitty but not enough that the other lets his guard down. He'd try and make this quick, for the others sake.

He hears the announcer yelling the match is about to start. The collar is deactivated and he winces a bit as normally blocked off magic is returned to him. This always hurt, but overtime he'd gotten used to it. He can see the other is clearly in more pain than he was, even if he tries to hide it. Definitely newer to this than he is. He wants to just get this over with.

"START!!!"

Wasting no time whatsoever, he throws up several sharp bones from the ground to try and knock the bitty out right away. This sometimes worked against the more inexperienced bitties who couldn't move fast enough to get out of the way in time. 

The other dodges them with little effort but is immediately on guard again as he sends out wave after wave of attacks, sometimes summoning mini blasters when his magic allowed it. This was his way of winning. He never gave the other bitties a chance to attack him. He wore them out slowly until they messed up or became too tired to dodge. When other bitties did get a chance to attack him, he was always one step ahead. He would dodge them easily before starting his brutal onslaught of attacks again.

The other bitty begins sweating, obviously knowing that he's in danger. The other isn't getting any openings at all. 

His attacks are the perfect offense and defence, he's been doing this technique in the ring for a while now and it hasn't failed him yet. His eyelights track the other bitty as he runs around the ring, searching for a slip up that he knows is coming.

The other bitty takes one step too close to the side of the ring dodging one of the attacks. Bingo. Just what he needs to finish this. A bone erupts from the side of the ring and the bitty has no time to react as it smashes into the side of his skull, effectively throwing him to the ground. That move is normally enough to knock bitties out or to kill them if done correctly. He had made this bone blunt on purpose though, just to knock him out. He wasn't going to kill any of the other owners bitties today if he could help it.

Just as he's about to go over and claim his victory by standing over the other to make sure he truly is knocked out, a high pitched cry from nearby stops him in his tracks. It sounded too familiar for him to just ignore it. It didn't come from the other bitty on the ground in front of him, he doesn't seem to be moving. Taking a chance he looks around outside the ring, defying his orders to just finish the match.

His eyes land on a small cage being held by one of the other owners, presumably the one who owns the bitty he just faced. Another bitty has his faced pressed against the bars of the cage while trembling, his eyelights are pinpricks as he stares at the bitty on the floor of the ring. 

Blue eyelights. 

A Baby Blue. Just like his brother.

Why the hell is there one here? All these humans know that a Baby Blue wouldn't last in any fight, so why? 

Tears fill his blue eyelights as he looked down at the other injured bitty in obvious worry and fear for him. Were they brothers? Like he had been with... 

He knew of few other bitties who had siblings back in the store, none of the other Lil Bros he knew had one. The humans had said that it's a rare occurrence. They said it was something to do with similar soul makeup, he didn't know the exact details that well. He just knew that he had always felt a connection to his brother and had felt a need to stay near him. Even now, a part of him still felt missing. It had disappeared with his brother on the day he escaped.

If a Baby Blue was brought here to the ring with a Lil Bro then that meant one thing. This human is using the Baby Blue against the other bitty to force him to fight better. He's threatening to hurt the other if he loses. Having him in a cage in his owners possession encourages the Lil Bro to fight better should the human threaten to hurt the Baby Blue in front of him beforehand. ~~H̵̪̳͋e̴̺͛͝ ̴̳̑ẇ̷̳a̸̞̚s̸̯̚ ̵̘͖͂g̴̤͑e̶͚͔̋͌t̵̬̏t̴̹̉ĭ̶̥͔̂n̶̠͖̽g̷̪͂̎ ̴̼̳̓"̷̗͗͜ṡ̷͕̻ȕ̶̹p̶͉͝p̷̩̐ô̷͉r̶̛͔͝ͅt̵̢͇͑"̶̰̈́ ̶̱͚̈f̸̨̭̾͝r̴̩͕̀ọ̷͋m̶̥̹̈́̓ ̷̦̐͊h̸͇͂̕i̸͎̭͛s̴̰͇̈́̄ ̶͕̓b̴͕̓͗r̷̛͔̽ͅo̶̠̼̅ṭ̵̎͆h̴̳͚̓ẽ̶̩͔̄r̶̢̎,̸͈͆̃ ̷̠̀t̵͚̣̕h̶̨̚a̵̦͋̎t̶̖͆̅'̶̙̓s̶̮̓ ̷̨̗͆͆t̸͖̹̋͐h̶̙͌͌ḛ̴̈́͝ ̸̖̤́ẉ̸̋a̶͎̾y̷̻̌͂ ̷̻͍̌h̷̖̱̀i̷̧͘s̴͚͒̅ ̷͔̏̋o̸̙̻͑ẅ̸͙́͆ṋ̶͛̍ ̸̥͇̅ǒ̴̦̮̚w̶̦̳̑n̷̳̾̈́e̷̮͘͝r̷͈̐͊ ̸̼̲͘ḧ̷̺̮ȃ̵͓ͅd̴̯̹̕ ̵̪̈́̂ș̵̟̌͊i̶̝̋c̵̢̛k̸̖̝͌̀l̴̟̾͌y̷̙̎ ̵͖̰̋͒ë̸͈́x̴̲̑p̸̰͋̑l̶̞͎̆ą̷̭̌i̸͚͓̽̓n̷̛̻͈e̵̫̦̎d̶̥̠̅̎ ̷̳͙͐͆ḭ̸̧̉̍ṭ̸̇ ̴͎̐ẗ̶̲̫́o̴̝̒̑ ̸̟̮͐̾h̸̨̳͑i̶͈̊͆m̶͚̽̚.~~ The Baby Blue is going to be punished for the Lil Bro's loss later.

He thought his human was the only one sick enough to train bitties with this technique. He had guessed bitties would fight harder if they had some kind of incentive to keep them going, so when he had heard of the pair in the adoption centre, he had apparently asked for them straight away. The human thought if he threatened to hurt one should the other lose in the ring, the other would fight harder to protect his brother from punishment. He would create one perfectly obedient fighting bitty who wouldn't hesitate to do whatever he said if it meant his brother was safe. So that's what the human had done. 

He took the one good thing he had ever had in his life and then threatened to hurt him if he didn't start improving in the rings. By the end of his second week, he was practically unbeatable, scared into obeying everything for fear that his brother would be placed into a separate cage as him elsewhere in the house or he'd be taken from him and returned later in the day injured. His brother would always sob and cling to him like a lifeline after that, afraid that the human would come back and take him again.

If his brother misbehaved, which was rare, then he would be punished. His punishments were always harsher than his brothers. He could tolerate more pain after all. He could tell it really bothered his brother and the other would spend hours apologising for it. His brother kept trying to be optimistic for him, but he could tell he was losing hope by the day. It's why he got him out of there. He didn't want him dealing with all this shit anymore and wanted to eliminate the chance that his owner would put a collar like his own one on him.

One time when his owner had separated the two bitties, he had threatened him saying that he would replace the others collar with one like his if he didn't stop hesitating when he attacked. Their collars were similar sure, but his has an extra feature. He never wants any other living being to go through the same hell he gets from the collar, especially his brother. He had begged the other not to put it on, practically bowing down to the other and telling him that he could do anything to him in ways of punishment and he would do anything he wanted him to as well if he didn't use the collar on his brother. His owner seemed satisfied at that reaction at the time and was even more happy when he had improved more in the fights. 

He still threatened to put one on him at times and he had even been shown one designed for his brother once when he had been being particularly rebellious one day. That same day he had come up with the escape plan. The human had never gotten the chance to put that kind of collar on the other, thank the stars.

This Baby Blue in the cage right now though. He knows it's not his brother, but the face he's making at the other Lil Bro right now reminds him so much of the other. He's hit with a fresh wave of loss and grief as he just stares at him, having mixed feelings about seeing a Baby Blue after all this time.

The Baby Blues eyelights finally shift over to him as he watches him from inside the ring. The Baby Blue's breathing hitches and he scrambles to the back of the cage as he cowers in fear of him. 

He's scared of him.

All he can see is his brother, terrified of him after witnessing what he just did to another bitty. Seeing him as the true monster he really is. Finally wanting to get away from him for hurting and killing others. Wanting nothing to do with him. Scared he'll hurt him too, like he's just some opponent he sees in the ring. That he won't be able to distinguish his brother from the bitties that he'll fight. That he'll go insane and go after him.

His greatest fear and reoccurring nightmare.

What must he look like to the other right now? A soulless killer who took pleasure in beating and knocking his brother out, as seemed to do so without any emotion holding him back? Can the other see all the dust on his hands? He feels his sins crawling on his back as the other continues trembling in fear under his gaze.

All he wants to do is comfort the other and apologise for everything. He doesn't care if it isn't his own brother. He can't stand any Baby Blue looking at him like that. It hurts his soul too much.

He takes one small step forward towards the crying shaking bitty.

The right side of his skull explodes in pain as a sharpened bone erupts from the ground and pierces deep into his eyesocket, effectively blinding him on his right side. The crowd cheer as they finally get some action. Assholes. He falls to the floor of the ring and is somehow able to stay conscious despite being able to feel many cracks forming on his skull where the attack had hit.

Welp. Looks like his previous attack wasn't enough to knock out the other bitty after all. His opponent had used his distraction to get back up and perform that surprise attack on him. He's strangely numb about the whole thing. Sure, it was stupid of him to let his guard down and let the other bitty steal his victory from him, but he finds he's strangely ok with this outcome. Maybe because he knows by losing, he's protecting the Baby Blue from punishment? Yeah that's probably it. It feels like he's helping his own brother in a way.

He's glad he got to see another Baby Blue before he died. Is he dying? He is feeling rather at peace at the moment, despite all the noise around him. He probably is then. His body feels like it's shutting down and his consciousness is slowly fading. He hopes his brother can forgive him for breaking his promise. If he knew the situation he probably would.

The light above him is blocked out by the shadow of his opponent. The other Lil Bro stares down at him in disgust, as he materialises a bone in his hand. "Don't you ever try to go near my bro. I'm not afraid to kill those who do. He's not just some bitty I'll let you walk up to and hurt like me. He's better than all the others here." He whispers to him angrily, quiet enough that only he can hear it.

Funny, the bitty on the ground thinks as the other raises the bone to finish him off. Had he been in the others shoes he would have said the exact same thing.

He sees the other begin to swing the bone down at him before everything goes black.

Y/N P.O.V.

You stand in the shadows, your hands covering your mouth in shock about what you just witnessed. That was brutal. Everything you had heard about bitty fights had disgusted you when you first heard about them, but actually witnessing one made you want to throw up. These sick psychos see this as entertainment? What the hell is wrong with them all?

The bitties you can see around you are all a mess. Most lie in cramp cages, unconscious from previous matches you hadn't seen taking place. Their bones are littered in scars, chips and bruises. Some of them really don't look too good right now, their bones a dull grey colour. It makes them look older and more broken in your opinion. Are they depressed maybe?

It's hard knowing that bitties like your own are suffering. Blue and Berry could have ended up in this situation too you realise, even if you didn't see many of their types around. What could have happened to them if you didn't find them that day in the alley. Could they have been one of these bitties lying hopelessly in some cramped cage with no chance of things improving? 

You need to stop this torture now and save all these poor bitties. Your soul is demanding justice. You need to call for help.

But you can't take your eyes off the Lil Bro who just went down. The poor thing had let his guard down and the other bitty hadn't given him a chance to react before attacking him. It seemed he'd been distracted by what you think is a Baby Blue in one of the cages. He seemed to want to reach out to him but then the other had seen him heading towards the bitty in the cage and attacked, knocking him down to the floor hard.

The amount of cracks that are forming on the side of his skull are insane. Your surprised he's still staying together. Those injuries are severe, your not sure if he's going to make it.

You really want to comfort him. Just to pick him up and hold him close to you, to let him know even if only for a second before he dusts that someone cares. You want to apologise for their actions say you'll make them pay for all the pain and suffering he's gone through for however long he's been forced to do this. You can't imagine how much each and everyone of these bitties must be feeling, knowing they have to injure and kill their own kind just so they can survive another day. Humans truly are disgusting.

These thoughts aren't helping anyone right now though are they. You should go and call the police now to let them handle the situation. But it seems like you arrived too late. Since the matches are over now, most of the spectators and bitty owners are leaving, taking everything with them. 

Shit! How are you supposed to present evidence of what's going on here to the police if there's nothing left by the time you arrive? What can you possibly do to help any of the bitties?

You continue to watch the people around you, unsure of what to do. After grabbing his Lil Bro out of the ring and stuffing him back into the cage with the Baby Blue, the winning owner had collected his prize money and had made his way over to another man, who now cupped the other unconscious Lil Bro bitty in his hands. He seems to be poking and prodding the bitty, trying to force him to wake up.

Both bitties in the cage remain quiet as they cuddle one another for comfort. Even as the cage is jostled about, the Lil Bro holds the Baby Blue tightly and protects him from most of the impact of being thrown around, despite being hurt already. The Baby Blue is looking slightly relieved that the other is near him again as he sobs and clings to the others destroyed hoodie. The Lil Bro just pats his head and hushes him, but he has a far off look in his eye as he stares down at the other conscious Lil Bro. He's obviously feeling immense guilt about what he did to the other.

What is wrong with these people!? Why are they treating the bitties like they aren't even alive!? Do they not see the psychological damage that they are doing to them!? The Baby Blue is having a breakdown and the Lil Bro is clearly depressed, yet the humans just ignore them. This is all just one sick game to them, isn't it!?

You want to whack every one of these assholes on the head with your heavy book, take all the bitties and then run to safety with them. But there's only one of you and about 30 strong-looking men around. You feel so useless here. The police won't get here in time to arrest anyone, which means they'll get away with all the bitties. Is there seriously nothing you can do to save any of them?

The owner of the Lil Bro and Baby Blue pats the other man in the back in some form of comfort or greeting, your not sure which. It seems to you like the two are acquainted with one another. He rubs the back of his neck nervously as he begins talking to the other.

"Hey dude. As an old friend of yours, I just thought I'd tell you that the bitty ain't going to be much use in a ring anymore, even if he does somehow survive. That attack would have blinded him on his right side permanently. He ain't ever going to see out of that eyesocket again man. He won't see any attacks coming from that side of his body, making him extremely vulnerable to those bitties that find his weakness. He ain't ever going back in the ring dude. I will say that I'm sorry that my bitty did this to yours considering all the help and tips you've given me in the past and the fact that other bitties didn't have to be killed or seriously injured for him to win today." 

He angrily looks at both bitties in the cage as he shakes it around for a moment, causing the Baby Blue to whimper a bit in fear before he quietens down, the Lil Bro protecting him from most of the damage. The Lil Bro barely reacts at all, just wincing slightly a bit in pain as he's thrown around. 

"That was supposed to be a finishing move to use in the other tournaments, but someone let his anger get the better of him today. I'll teach him a lesson about that later." 

Both bitties cower in fear at that statement as the taller attempts to shield the smaller from their owners gaze. He keeps eye contact with the human as he tries to put on a brave face in front of him, though it's obvious he's terrified.

The owner turns back to the other human continually patting him on the back and shoulder as the other just stares at the bitty in his hands, looking pissed off that he's not waking up. "I'll give you a small part of the reward money as compensation for the loss and as a thanks for the help you gave me before."

"Your bitty had a good run, I'll give you that. But he's been slowing down recently. It's about time you he retired, don't you think? Here."

He hands him a brown bag and a string to tie it with. "Just put him in there, close the bag and throw it in the trash. Most likely he'll be dust soon anyway and you won't have to worry about anyone finding him." He smiles down at him. "Then we'll discuss your payment and plans for the future."

The other man sighs in anger shaking his head in his annoyance. "If it was anyone elses bitty who did this to mine, I would have had your head for this man. It's so frustrating that one little distraction in the ring cost me my prized fighting bitty. Looks like his brother still ended up being his greatest weakness after all, even if he's long gone. Probably the biggest problem you can have keeping two bitties so close together. The attachment obviously makes them soft in the end. Guess it's the end of the road for him though."

He begins standing up and he takes the bag into his hand. "I'll take you up on that offer, but there's something I want from you as a payment of sorts for my bitty's life, we'll discuss that in a moment though."

Stuffing the unconscious Lil Bro in the bag he ties it closed tightly, before he chucks it into a nearby bin. The two leave the alley together, continuing their conversation somewhere else. Your tempted to follow them to attempt to grab the bitties and run, but you promised yourself you wouldn't do anything reckless. You wish you could have helped them, but there was just no way to safely get them away from the humans without alerting yourselves to all the other people still around you. You feel so useless and pathetic! You couldn't even do this one thing right. If only you had arrived sooner, then you might have had a chance to save all the bitties by calling the police in time. You would definitely notify them of this later on tonight. But right now...

You look towards the bin. There is a small chance you might still be able to save the unconscious Lil Bro. Being as quiet as you can be, you make your way over to the bin and finding the bag, you quickly untie it and place the heavily injured bitty onto your hand. Your relieved he didn't suffocate and that he's not dust yet.

He's still breathing, but it looks like he's in quite a bit of pain and is shivering violently. He needs emergency help and fast!

Holding the bitty close against your chest in hopes the action can bring him some comfort and healing, you speed walk as quietly as you can out of the alley.

As soon as you get out of there, you begin sprinting as fast as you can. You don't jostle the bitty as you do this, you're somehow able to keep him still against you as you run from street to street. You keep looking down at his tiny frame, searching for changes in his condition. He's bigger than both Blue and Berry, though he seems lighter to you. Probably malnourished you realise.

You just hope that the bitty centre will be open at this time of night. This Lil Bro needs all the help he can get and you know you can't save him yourself.

While you run, you whisper words of affection and encouragement to the bitty. You let him know that he's safe now and your going to help him.

"Please hang on for me! I'm going to get you help and then I'll help give you all the healing and affection you need!"

"Just please be ok!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reader arrived too late to be able to help the other bitties sadly.
> 
>  **Wanna know what happened to the other Lil Bro and Baby Blue?** Then check out part two of this story later!


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a chapter about the reader getting to the adoption centre to help heal the Lil Bro and finding out some of what he's been through.
> 
> I'm afraid it's definitely not the most exciting chapter I've written, but it is kind of needed. Sorry if it's not up to my normal standards :/.

By some miracle when you arrive at the bitty centre, the Lil Bro you're holding is still hanging onto life. Maybe there's hope for him after all. 

Looking inside the store, you see that there are still lights on inside. However, when you try the door you realise it's locked. You bang rather loudly on the door to see if you can get someone's attention. You don't want to scare the bitties inside, but what other choice do you have? It's either that or waste precious minutes you don't have waiting for someone to see you standing there.

It looks like someone's noticed you. He doesn't seem very happy that your after most likely disturbing the bitties in the store. He practically stomps over to the door and he looks like he's about to start yelling at you when he notices through the glass the bitty in your hands. You recognise him as the man who kept offering to help you and the bitties when you were here the other day. Liam, was it? You can't quite remember correctly in your panic.

He grabs some keys and opening the door he ushers you inside before he locks it again. You begin apologizing for disturbing them. "Sorry I know this isn't the best place to take seriously injured bitties and your probably closed right now, but you were the closest place to me and I wasn't sure how much time he had left."

He goes wide-eyed as he gets a closer look at the condition of the bitty. "What the hell happened to him?"

"I came across a bitty fighting ring, but only at the end of the final match so there wasn't time to do anything before the assholes left and all the bitties got taken away, except for this one. He got badly injured in the final fight, I think a sharpened bone hit the right side of his skull somewhere causing all these cracks to form. He was tossed in the dump when it was believed he wouldn't make it. I rescued him out of there and made my way over here. Please tell me there's someone here that can help him! I want to know I was able to save one at least!"

You lower your head and look at the floor in shame. "It was so frustrating that I couldn't do anything but watch as the others were taken away. They all looked so... depressed. If I just came a bit sooner maybe I could have done more."

He smiles softly at you. "Hey, I'm sure you did all you could and at least you were there to try to save this one. We have a room in the back for emergency situations and thankfully I believe our doctor is still somewhere in the building. We'll do what we can for him."

He leads you around the store to the emergency room. On the way, you pass the bitty enclosures and take a quick peek at them. Most are still sleeping, but you notice some are awake and are staring up at you with many curious, multi-coloured eyelights. You're in too much of a rush to stick around and look for long though.

You find the doctor in there, she's currently in the process of checking paperwork. "Luke, I'm a bit busy right now. Could you come back la-" She notices you and the bitty you're carrying. She rushes over.

"Give him to me quickly! He needs urgent care and fast. Luke, can you stay to help?" He nods and begins preparing the examination table. You give the bitty one final gentle stroke on his back before handing him over to her. "Please tell me you can save him!"

She looks down at the bitty in her hands examining the different cracks and wincing at his condition. For the doctor to be having that sort of reaction, you know it's pretty bad. "We'll try our best, but I'm afraid you'll have to wait outside while we work if you wish to know how he's getting on. It's a standard protocol we have to follow. One of us will come out to let you know his condition."

You really don't want to leave but you guess you don't really have a choice. You need to give them space to work. "That's fine, is there anywhere in particular you'd like me to wait?"

Luke looks up from what he's preparing on the table. "Oh we have a waiting room filled with snacks and a kettle if you want tea or coffee. Here, I'll call Sky to keep you company in the meantime."

You don't want to be a nuisance to them since they're working so you call out to him to say he doesn't need to. "Oh if he's asleep there's no need to wake him, I'll be fine!" 

But he had already left the room. The doctor rolls her eyes at his actions. "Sorry, there's really no stopping him once he's got his mind on something. He shouldn't be too long though. I can start this first bit without him."

"It's ok. I'll wait for him outside." Taking one last look at the injured bitty and hoping this won't be the last time, you exit the room so the doctor can start working. 

Luke arrives back with Sky and he quickly leads you to the waiting room before he leaves to go and help the doctor. You turn to the Baby Blue who he left on the couch. "Sorry if I disturbed your sleep Sky. Luke was pretty insistent you could keep me company, but if your tired you can go back to sleep."

Sky smiles happily at you. "IT'S OK, HUMAN! THE MAGNIFICENT SKY DOESN'T MIND! I'LL KEEP YOU COMPANY WHILE WE WAIT FOR LUKE TO COME BACK! DO YOU WANT SOME TEA OR COFFEE WHILE YOU WAIT?"

"I might have tea, but don't trouble yourself, I can make it myself."

But the Baby Blue is already putting the teabag in the cup he picked out for you and he ushers you to sit down on the couch. "I INSIST HUMAN, YOU'RE OUR GUEST AFTER ALL AND I'M SURE YOU'VE HAD A HARD DAY WORKING. SO PLEASE, LET ME DO THIS FOR YOU!"

You really can't argue with him so you sit down. "Alright, fine, you win. But if you need help let me know ok?"

He agrees and while you wait for the water to heat up, you chat with the bitty. He acts so differently to the way Blue does and you wonder if your bitty at some stage might have acted like this. You wouldn't trade your bitty's personality for anything of course, but seeing the other Baby Blues always made you wonder what changed Blue's attitude so much that made him become the bitty he is today.

He asked you how you were getting on with your own bitties, somehow remembering both their bitty types and names despite only talking to them for about a minute that one time when they were in the shop last. He also nervously asked about what you had witnessed in the alley since Luke had told him what was going on. You left out most of the details since you didn't want him to get nightmares and it must not be very nice to hear how some of his own species are suffering. You mostly talked about the bitty you saved and how you hope he'll be ok. He tries to reassure you and stays optimistic about the whole thing saying that he knows the Lil Bro will recover and that they'll catch the "bad humans" someday.

You asked him a bit about himself as well just to be polite. From the way he talked so admirably about Luke, it's obvious to you that the two have a great relationship. Sky seemed happy that he could help him out while he's working and he always had something to do. He likes how he can spend time with all the other bitties waiting to be adopted and help them. He apparently tries to keep Luke organised and on time for work even though he's apparently quite lazy in Sky's opinion. This made you giggle since Blue always says the exact same about you.

After a while, Luke arrives back into the room looking quite pale and worried. You're instantly on your feet, wanting desperately to know what's going on. "Is everything ok? Did something happen to the Lil Bro? Did he...."

He picks Sky up off the couch. The bitty can obviously feel his distress and tries to comfort him by cuddling into him. "We thankfully managed to get him into a stable condition and he's not going to die, but let's just say the little guy has been through quite a bit. If you want to find out more, I suggest you go and ask Dr. Martin yourself. I have to take Sky home now to rest and being perfectly honest with you I don't want to hear all of that again. Goodnight."

Was it really that bad that it even bothered someone who dealt with multiple bitties on a daily basis? "I'll ask her. Thanks for your help." You wave at the two and Sky waves back eagerly before you make your way back to the room.

The doctor is just cleaning away the supplies they used when you come in, startling her a small bit.

"Sorry. I just wanted to ask about the Lil Bro. Can I see him please?"

She nods, pointing to a small padded enclosure in one of the glass tanks beside the wall. Looking inside you see him sleeping peacefully. The Lil bro has many bandages placed all over him, with the right half of his skull completely covered in them. His old ripped clothes have thankfully been replaced by a simple white t-shirt and brown shorts, like the other bitties in the store. You're so relieved that he's not going to die, but your scared to hear what she'll say about him.

"So, what's the story with his condition. Luke said it was pretty bad."

She stares at the bitty with obvious pity and sadness. "I'm afraid it is. Where do I even start. First off his physical condition. Before I even talk about the injury to his skull, I have to tell you about the rest of his body. His bones are littered in scars, chips and bruises from fight after fight, some were made recently enough while others are months old. I healed what I couldn't but I couldn't fix everything. He's been fighting in the rings for quite a long time it seems." You look down at the poor bitty. How much it's suffered for other sickos entertainment.

"Moving on to his eyesight. I'm afraid he's now completely blind in his right eyesocket thanks to the attack to his skull. It wasn't reacting to any sort of light when I tested it out earlier. He's never going to see out of it again." You were really hoping that wouldn't be the case. That's going to be hard for the bitty to adjust to.

"I managed to fix most of the cracks in his skull but there is still a massive scar over the right socket that I can't do anything about. It looks pretty nasty..."

She heads over to the table and reaching under she grabs what you recognise to be the small collar the bitty was wearing when you found it. It's broken now, seemingly snapped in half by something. 

The doctor looks disgusted by it. "This is the worst part of it. These types of collars are highly illegal. They cut off most of a bitty's magic supply leaving them with only enough to survive and without a way to defend themselves. Also this one was fitted with a few extra features, a tracking device to know where the bitty is at all times and..." 

She goes quiet for a moment before continuing. "There's a part that if triggered by an external device would shock the bitty. I've heard that some people had found bitties with these on but I've never seen one with my own eyes. There apparently used to train the bitty into being obedient... I'm glad I was able to remove it once he was stabilized. It did hurt him to get all his magic back at once, but thankfully he got through it in one piece, he needed to get it off to heal properly and it would be too cruel to leave it on. I've called the police to tell them about the collar and the fighting ring. They may want to get a statement from you since you discovered the bitty ring and you'll have more details to provide them. Is that ok with you?"

"Yeah... that's fine..." You answer rather quietly your eyes still fixed on the bitty asleep in front of you. Two emotions are going through your head right now. Firstly anger. You really feel like killing something right now. How dare anyone treat another living being like that. A shock collar? That really makes you feel sick and upset for the poor bitty. What kind of life did this bitty have before now. One filled with constant fear and torture most likely. You'd like to give the humans sick enough to do this a taste of their own medicine.

The other emotion you feel is just an overwhelming sadness. Why did the world have to be so cruel? This bitty deserved so much better than this. He could have gone to a loving home where he could have been loved by his human. But this is what he got instead.

The doctor continues speaking. "His chances of adoption are almost non-existent now. Unfortunately nobody will want a scarred, broken bitty like him, not to mention he'll have many problems after being in the ring for so long. He could potentially be dangerous as well. We have no idea how he'll react to being out of the collar. It's why he's in there right now even though I don't expect he'll wake up for at least a day or two. I honestly don't know what we're going to do with him."

You make your decision right there and then. You're not going to leave him here to be stuck in the adoption centre for who knows how long. You don't care if he's scarred or broken or if you're low on money at the moment. You want him. You already feel quite attached to him anyway and you know if you leave him here you'll just keep wondering how he's doing. You probably wouldn't be able to concentrate in either of your jobs thinking about him all the time.

"I want to adopt him." You announce. She looks shocked at your declaration but you continue regardless. "I already have two bitties who I rescued from a bad situation before and I want to help this little guy too. I really can't stand the the thought of him waiting months or even years to be adopted. I know I can help him to settle in with me and my other two bitties. Please let me take him in." 

She looks very unsure. "I don't know if it's such a good idea. On one hand it would allow him to heal better due to the close presence of your soul. But I don't think it's safe for you or the bitties, he's going to be nervous when he wakes up and he might try to attack you or them since he won't know what's going on."

You give her a pleading look. "Is there anything I can do to convince you. Please... I really need to do this... I want to help."

The doctor thinks for a moment before she sighs and smiles. "I see you are already feeling a strong bond between you and the bitty so I really can't find it in my heart to say no to you. I'll let you adopt him and take him home after the police arrive for the questioning. He's stable enough and your presence should provide him with the magic he needs to fully heal so it probably is best you take him today. However, I must insist you keep him in a carrier until he wakes up and is calm and settled. I'll get you one that's kind of like the enclosure he's in now. It should be soft and comfy for him in there. If there's any problems, make sure you call us. I'll need you to come back regularly with him for check ups and to see how he's getting on with you. Got all that?"

You nod vigorously. "Yes I do. Thank you! I promise I'll do my best for him and I'll follow your advice. I just... don't want him to be alone anymore after going through all that. He deserves better and I want to try and give it to him. I know there'll be problems, but I'll do my best to help him with everything."

She seems happy with that answer as she beams at you. "You sound like just the right type of person who this bitty needs to heal from everything he's been through. Thankfully I'm authorised to let you adopt him so I'll start getting the paperwork ready for you while we wait for the officers to arrive. I'm sure they'll be here any minute now."

You walk back with her to the front of the store to see that they are indeed there, waiting to be let in. The officers begin questioning you right there. You're questioned about the location where the fighting took place, the people involved, the bitties you saw and asked about any other useful bits of information you could share. You answer each question to the best of your ability, urging yourself to remember more about what you saw and heard while there. Then they got shown the collar and they took it with them for further examination. They also had a quick look at the Lil Bro. Since he's in the adoption centres care now, they didn't really need to know anything about his condition since they don't really deal with the bitties themselves. You're kind of annoyed about this but you say nothing and just let them get on with their work.

They thank you for your time then and leave giving you a number to call if you remember anymore information later. You go to the front desk again to complete the paperwork and grabbing one of the more cosier looking carriers you walk back to find the Lil Bro sleeping in the enclosure, still looking relaxed and peaceful.

The doctor unlocks the enclosures door and reaches in. She gently picks up the bitty and places him into the carrier. She also grabs a small orange blanket and puts it on him to keep him comfy and warm. 

She offers you the carrier and you take it as if it's a box filled with delicate ornaments and one wrong move will shatter everything. You know it's cushioned for his protection and comfort, but your still scared of hurting him.

You walk back to the till trying to run numbers in your head for how much this is going to cost you. You don't mind of course, but your trying to see how this is going to effect the money your using on food and other essentials. You'll just have to make even more cuts to your budget. You can handle that. "So how much do I owe you?"

She thinks for a moment. "If this was any other adoption you would have to pay for the adoption fees as well as all the stuff I just gave you, but because you rescued him yourself and he's not in the database I'm not obliged to charge you for the adoption itself, so instead you'll just be charged for the carrier and blanket. Think of it as our way of thanking you for taking on a rescue, since so few people are willing to do so. Here's the figure you'll be paying today."

She shows you the cost of the items. You can't believe it's barely anything. Even though you can't really afford much at the moment anyway you don't want to take advantage of the store by paying literally nothing. "Are you sure? I feel like I should be paying more."

"I assure you it's fine. Here." She hands you a slip of paper with her name and number on it. "If you need help with anything bitty related, please don't hesitate to call me." You thank her and pay for the items. "I hope that he'll be able to recover better in your presence and lead a happy life now. I'll see you again at his first check-up in a few days. Please don't forget. It's important that I see how he's getting on."

You nod in understanding. "Thanks for everything! I'll bring him in then."

With that you exit the store, holding the carrier close to you. It's really late now and there is basically no one walking around anymore. You begin the trek home, checking the Lil Bro every minute or two to make sure he's fine and still sleeping. He seems to be doing ok. You talk to him as you go, letting him know that everything is going to be alright now and your going to do your best for him.

You hope Blue and Berry won't mind the fact you're bringing another bitty home without asking them if they're ok with it. Your sure if you explain yourself well enough they'll understand why you felt the need to take him on. You know they'll try and help the Lil Bro settle in as well.

You hope you'll be able to help the bitty with the problems he's going to have after being hurt and forced to fight for so long.

You'll just have to take things one step at a time, like you had done with Blue and Berry.

You'll make this work.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologise for any grammar mistakes that may be present in any chapter so far. I tend to write and edit chapters pretty late at night so if there's something there, I was probably too tired to notice it :D. I was reading over some of this recently and I nearly started banging my head off the table in frustration from all of them.
> 
> Edit: Also you may have noticed this work is now part of a series! The first chapter of my new story is up and may interest you if your curious about the fate of two of the bitties from the previous chapter. Check it out if you wish!


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AAAAHHHH!  
> SO MUCH DIALOGUE! THIS CHAPTER KILLED ME!!!
> 
> Here it is though. The chapter you've been waiting for and I hope you enjoy it!!! It's long because I didn't want to split it into multiple chapters :/.
> 
> There's bound to be grammar mistakes in there because even though I try and edit it there's always something, so I apologise for my terrible writing in advance haha.

Y/N P.O.V

The house is quiet and dark as you open the front door and enter. That's pretty normal, but you were half expecting a very anxious Blue to be down here waiting for you, since you guess he often stays awake to make sure you get back alright. It would explain why you always saw a pair of blue eyelights checking on you before falling asleep every night. You're glad he's sleeping right now though, you don't want him constantly staying up and worrying about you every night after all. You don't really plan on waking either of the bitties up right now, despite what's happened. They probably need the rest and it'll be easier for you to tell them tomorrow when you won't be as tired.

You walk to the kitchen, turning the lights on so you can see where you're going. You carefully place the carrier on the countertop, deciding to take another look inside.

The Lil Bro still hasn't moved at all, but you weren't really expecting him to have done so. You wonder how long it will take for him to wake up. The last thing you want to happen is him waking up alone in a strange house while the three of you are out. Perhaps you can convince the others to stay at home and keep an eye on him while you go to work, just in case... though you don't want to put them in harm's way if he does turn out to be dangerous.

You're also indecisive about where you should leave the carrier tonight and the thought of that makes you bite your lip with worry. Your room would be the best option, but you're not sure how the Blue and Berry will react to waking up and seeing a carrier in the room. It might bring about some unpleasant memories in the two of them and you obviously don't want that happening...

Ugh, all these decisions you have to make is giving you a pounding headache...

Perhaps you can think about them more clearly in bathroom while you go get changed for bed? Letting out a yawn and exiting the kitchen, you decide to do just that. The Lil Bro will be fine if you leave him for only a few minutes, right?

...

Your plan doesn't work...

You're still undecided about what to do as you walk back into the kitchen ten minutes later, now dressed in your favourite, most comfortable evening wear. All the ideas you had come up with just seemed to lead to more problems.

You pass by the carrier and take a quick glance at it again, intending to quickly check on him once again before going to the cupboard afterwards to grab a glass for a quick drink. 

Wait... what the heck has-!? Your eyes widen as you take in the current state of the carrier. 

The door has been completely busted open! No amount of glue or tape is going to fix that!

You're pretty sure the bitty won't be in there anymore, but you decide to risk it anyway. You place your hands on the counter and squat down to take a closer look inside. Nothing...

The Lil Bro is gone. 

But he can't have gone very far right? All the doors and windows are usually locked in the house at night now and so far you didn't hear the sound of any glass breaking. You scan the tabletop for a bit. He must be somewhere nearby. The poor thing must be terrified right now, not knowing where he is. Where to start looking for him though...?

Suddenly, you hear a commotion coming from the table behind you. 

You don't expect to see the two bitties that are angrily staring at each other there, both wielding a bone in their hands that they're fighting with.

Shit. This is not how you wanted first introductions to go...

Blue P.O.V.

At first, he was pissed off at you for not coming home on time for what is probably the tenth night in a row. You really need to find a better schedule that will work for you, since this one is not getting you 'home by 10' like you promised it would.

When you didn't show up after another half an hour, Blue became very worried. You always got home by that time. Where could you be? He began pacing the bed in worry, though he did so quietly so he wouldn't wake Berry sleeping next to him.

Did you get hurt? Did someone attack you and he hadn't been there to protect you? What if you never came back!? 

He started thinking of all the worst case scenarios of what could have happened to you as he continually walked back and forth. He knew he shouldn't have let you go alone! What if you didn't get back before morning? What on earth would he tell Berry!?

At around midnight, he finally hears your keys jingling and the door opening, indicating you had arrived back.

Blue sighs in relief. You're safe after all, thank the stars! But he'll definitely be having a discussion with you about the dangers of staying out so late at night alone in a busy city. What had you been thinking?

After making sure Cherry is still sleeping soundly, he leaves your bedroom, intending to catch you off guard and question you in the kitchen about your late arrival home. It takes him a while to get to the bottom of the stairs and by that point you're in the bathroom changing. He decides to just wait for you in the kitchen.

Blue is about to head inside when he hears a loud bang coming from the room. What the...? Did some kind of animal get in and is now wrecking your kitchen? He's not going to stand for that at all. He takes a peek in.

He sees a shadowy figure standing outside what he believes is a carrier, but it's too dark to see any features from here. It's clearly another skeleton bitty though.

Blue is immediately filled with questions that he's not sure he'll want the answers to. Why did.... why did you come home with another bitty? You had to have gone to the adoption centre to get that carrier, right? Were you finally replacing them with better bitties, just like he had feared you would before?

Blue angrily shakes his head of those thoughts. What is he thinking? There must be some better explanation to this. You wouldn't ever do that to them, he's sure of it now. You care about them and treat them as equals. Obviously, there's a reason why you brought another bitty home. He's certain you'll explain why you did so soon.

Lights are turned on in the hallway behind him as you make your way back to the kitchen. Blue climbs onto the table and hides behind a plant pot placed in the centre of it, to watch what you do next. He looks back to where he saw the other bitty outside the carrier. They've vanished.

Blue is not sure how to feel about that. The bitty must have been in a carrier for a reason. He doesn't think you would have gotten one otherwise, since you carried them everywhere. He should search for the other-

Oh! He spots him behind one of the jars placed on another part of the counter. Blue wants to see how the other bitty acts around you himself before he lets you know of his presence. He can't detect the bitties intent from here.

When you arrive back in, you don't immediately notice the broken carrier, probably because of how tired you are. When you do notice though, Blue sees the worried look on your face as your eyes search the nearby area for signs of the other bitty.

Meanwhile, the mysterious bitty is closely watching you, clearly deciding what his next plan of action should be. He still can't tell what type of bitty this is from his position. Blue's eyes widen at the sharpened bone that appears in the other's hand a second later. He's planning to hurt you!

The new bitty then vanishes from his hiding place before Blue can do a thing to stop him. The other can teleport? You're in big danger then. Blue needs to find the other before he can hurt you. Luckily he teleported onto the same table that he's on. He stares at you with blank eye sockets, his hand gripped tightly around his weapon. Your back is turned to him as you search for the bitty elsewhere, so Blue knows he'll have to step in before you're hurt. 

Blue attacks the threat with his own summoned bone, knocking his opponent's weapon out of his hand. The other bitty is clearly startled by Blue's sudden appearance as he yelps, but recovers quick enough to summon another bone to fight back with. They clash the bones together, narrowing their eyes at one another as they stare angrily into each other's darkened eyesockets.

Blue growls lowly at the other bitty, doing his best to threaten the other in the hopes he'll get them to back down. "Get away from _my_ human right now, _friend_. I don't know why you're here, but you better calm down right now unless you want a fight. Take another step forward towards my human with the intention to harm her and I'll attack you without hesitation. Put the bone away and back down. Now."

The other scowls at the order but still obeys it as he takes a step back from Blue. He then teleports back a few feet on the table, seemingly planning his next move. The bone he summoned is still in his hand. He snarls at Blue as he stares him down with his one remaining eyesocket. Blue only notices then the amount of bandages on the other bitty. What had happened to him?

The longer he looks at Blue, the quieter the other bitty's growling becomes until he's just staring at him silently. All of a sudden, his eye widens with recognition as he drops the bone. It instantly disintegrates into many different particles as he just stands there.

Blue is confused at the others stand down for a moment, before he feels a vaguely familiar magic signature begin to surround him like a blanket. Blue relaxes slightly at the feeling of it. It speaks of safety, comfort and joy. It feels very peaceful and it reminds him of some happier times. The other bitty is reaching out to him through his magic it seems. 

Blue takes this chance to look more closely at the other. Despite being covered in bandages, Blue is still able to tell what type of bitty this is. His eyes go wide in realisation.

A Lil Bro!? Like his...!

He raises his hand to his mouth in disbelief, not believing the sight in front of him to be true.

His mind has to be playing a cruel trick on him. It couldn't be... there's simply no way this could be him... it's not possible... he's still stuck in that hell because of him... this has to be someone else.

But his soul is telling him otherwise. It appears the Lil Bro's is saying the same to him. The other is staring at him longingly from the other end of the table as he waits for Blue to react to his magic in some way. 

Blue looks towards the other with a glimmer of hope in his eyes. If this is really is him, Blue has no doubt he'll react to his own magic. He sends out his own magic signature to envelop the other, his speaking of happiness, hope and affection. He often used it to help him get through some bad times, so if the other reacts than it really is his...!

The Lil Bro brightens up as the magic reaches him and tears fill his eye socket from overwhelming happiness as his theory is confirmed. He takes a single step forward before hesitating and shuffling his feet with uncertainty, his hand reaching out towards him slightly.

"Blue?... Bro, is that really you?" 

Blue stiffens as his name is called by the other. Now there are tears in his own eye sockets as he beams at the other, the brother he left behind, the one he thought had...

This... this is a dream right? He's totally going to wake up any second now from this and find out this never actually happened... 

But his soul screams that it's real! That his brother is right there in front of him! He's really here!!!

"BROTHER!!" He yells loudly in a high-pitched voice, not caring for once that he sounds childish doing so. He runs at the other and tackles him gently in a hug, being careful not to hurt him too much with all the bandages already evident around his frame. 

The Lil Bro laughs at the other's actions and cuddles him close after he's tackled playfully by the other. Blue giggles alongside him, happy to have his brother back and to hear him laughing properly for the first time since they left the adoption centre. 

Blue clings tightly to him.. He doesn't want this moment to end and he's honestly scared the other will disappear if he lets go.

"I thought I had lost you forever." His brother whispers quietly, as orange tears run down his cheekbone. 

Blue just hugs tighter, looking into the others visible eye socket and nuzzling his skull with his own. "I'm here, brother. I'm not going to leave you again."

The Lil bro smiles happily before he looks at the other anxiously. Still holding onto the other, he begins inspecting Blue for any damage while asking him frantic questions, his voice filled with worry. "Are you doing ok? Are you hurt? I can try to heal you if you need me to? Have you been eating enough? Getting enough sleep? Do you-" His eyes land on the bitty's neck and he brightens up even more. "You're not wearing the collar anymore!"

Blue beams at him. "Neither are you! We both have access to all our magic! We don't have to worry about defending ourselves or each other and we won't be controlled now!" 

He takes his brother's hand and squeezes it a little, trying to calm the Lil Bro's worries. "To answer all your questions, I'm fine, honestly!" He looks worriedly at all the bandages the other is covered in. "I'm more worried about you..."

The Lil Bro looks down at himself. "I know it probably looks pretty bad, but I feel ok mostly. Now that I'm with you again, I feel great. I missed you so much."

Blue's sniffles, wiping the tears from his eye sockets as he replies. "I missed you too, brother. I'm so s-sorry I left you to suffer alone! I d-didn't want to leave you but t-then you told me to g-go and that you'd come f-find me soon, so I abandoned y-you. I ran like a coward, scared the h-human would find me and your s-sacrifice would be in vain. B-But you just g-got hurt worse because of me."

He avoids his brother's eye contact as he steps away from him slightly, feeling really guilty. His voice shakes as he struggles to keep himself composed. "I just m-made everything harder for you. Y-You wouldn't have had to f-fight if I wasn't around and t-then you w-wouldn't have h-had to do all t-those terrible t-things to the other b-bitties. I'm s-so s-sorry for making your life miserable... I'm the worst b-brother ever..."

The Lil Bro rests his hand on his skull and rubs it gently, a comforting gesture that Blue remembers he often used to do when he was panicking back at that awful place.

"Bro. Hey, listen. Look at me." After a moment's hesitation, he peers up at his brother with wide, blue, guilty looking eye lights.

"Please, don't blame yourself for any of this. I was the one who told you to run away and promised I'd come after you, which..." A pained look flashes across his face for a moment before he lets out a heavy sigh. "...became near impossible afterwards. I left you to defend for yourself outside since I couldn't get out, which put you in grave danger. You didn't make anything worse for me. I would've probably been killed if I didn't fight anyway, so I had to in order to survive. Remembering the good times we had before all this fighting shit started is what kept me going when I was at my lowest points." 

Blue interrupts him, a frown on his face. "BROTHER! LANGUAGE!"

The Lil Bro smirks. "Glad to see some things never change."

He continues speaking, his smile fading slightly. "I always planned to get out and find you. But as days turned to weeks and then to months I-" He stops and closes his eyesocket, obviously thinking about something upsetting since he's struggling to go on. 

"I... I started thinking about how hard it would be for a bitty to survive in the streets and I began thinking that you...." He trails off, his skull facing the floor in shame. "I.... I thought you were dead Blue... and I was responsible for it." 

Blue's eyes widen with shock, but the Lil Bro is unable to notice since he's still avoiding eye contact with him. "I wasn't there to help you get through everything and I couldn't come after you. I thought I sent you to your death and everyday I would apologise to you for it. I didn't want to break the promise we made though, so I kept living for you, hoping things could get better and that one day when it was all over... I'd see you again." 

He finally looks back at Blue, a proud, joyful expression on his face. "I should've known you'd be tough enough to survive. You were always strong for me after all. I'm sorry I doubted you. I'm just so happy your alive and you're here with me now."

"It's fine brother really!" He assures his brother. "I've been doing ok by myself and I'm still alive thankfully. But... were you seriously stuck with that terrible human this whole time?"

The Lil Bros eyes darken and he grimaces a slight bit. "Yeah, bro... I was. He put a tracker on the collar after you left, so he knew where I was at all times. Even if I escaped the house... He'd always find me in the end."

Blue balls his hands into fists, choosing to stare at the ground as he's overcome with both anger and sadness. His brother had to go through so much because of him. He kept getting hurt because of his selfish and cowardly actions. "I'm so sorry... That wouldn't have happened if I hadn't left you and then we could have-" The Lil Bro grabs his brother's other hand and firmly grasps it, cutting him off.

"Blue, please stop apologizing for things that aren't your fault. Look, I'm out of there now and with you again! Sure I got hurt at times, but I'm still alive and so are you! That's all that matters."

"But..." He trails off as he glances at himself and then back at Blue again. I am a bit confused as to how I got out of there though... the last thing I remember was fighting another bitty in the ring and then..." The Lil Bro runs his hand over the bandages covering his right eyesocket. He winces at the pain he causes by doing that, making Blue immediately anxious.

"What's wrong!? Is it really painful? I can try healing it if you want. Do you remember what happened exactly?" He really hopes his brother's not in too much pain right now.

The Lil Bro frowns as he tries to remember. "No, Blue, everything's fine. I think the other bitty struck me pretty hard with an attack. I remember... feeling a sharp pain on the right side of my skull before I blacked out. I honestly thought I was going to die. But obviously my soul refused to give up for some reason. Then I woke up in that carrier over there with all these bandages on and-." He cuts off abruptly, his eye light falling on you just standing there in shock as you watch the two bitties interact. He immediately tenses with fear.

Blue had completely forgotten about your presence after he had realised that his brother was here. You've just been standing there watching, maybe to make sure they won't start fighting or because you want to know what was going on. Blue is grateful that your still here in case something went wrong, but now he can't help but worry about what's going to happen now. He has no idea how his brother will react to you being in the same room as him.

Lil Bro P.O.V

The Lil Bro bitty is still in shock that he's still alive right now after his fight in the ring, nevermind the fact that his brother is apparently here with him. It all seemed too surreal, one minute he's fighting for his life and the next he wakes up here to find Blue, uninjured and healthy. _Alive._

But he had forgotten something important in his job of being reunited with his brother...

Someone had brought him here in a carrier earlier. 

It had taken him a brief moment after he had woken up to know something wasn't right, since he had felt disoriented and a little dizzy.

Firstly, it seemed he was no longer in the cage in the human's basement anymore. He was lying on something soft instead of a cold, metal flooring and the lights were way too bright outside for him to be stuck in the basement again. Secondly, as his eye light finally adjusted to the brightness around him and he woke up properly, he realised he couldn't see out of his right eye and he was covered in bandages. The human had taken him to be healed? That didn't happen often and when it did he'd always feel more groggy and sick waking up. The bandages appeared to be well wrapped around his bones for once, not like the shabby job the doctor usually does. Finally and most importantly, the familiar weight of his collar around his neck vertebrae was completely missing. He pressed a hand against it just to be sure. He could feel the bone instead of the familiar leather of the collar!

It was.... it was really gone?! Does that mean he could..? He summoned a bone successfully in his hand after a couple of tries and let out a quiet laugh of disbelief. Oh stars yes! He was finally free of the nightmarish device!

He had broken out of the carrier then, smashing the door with a bone attack in order to escape. The Lil Bro had simply stood outside of it afterwards, considering his next move since he had no idea where he was or how he got there. As soon as he had seen you, he knew he'd have to fight to get out. He had no idea where his owner was, but he didn't plan on sticking around to find out. He was going to hurt you enough that you would throw him out of the house or at the very least opened a window so he could escape.

But then as he was about to do that, Blue had shown up. He'd just been so astonished and delighted to see his brother alive that he had completely let his guard down. 

He had forgotten the human was still around and they've been staring right at them for stars knows how long.

How could he be so careless, especially now that he got Blue back? The two of them just acted extremely vulnerable and weak in front of the other. They could use that show of weakness to their advantage, grabbing Blue and threatening him like the other human used to.

No! He just found his brother after all this time of being alone, he's not going to get separated from Blue like last time! He can't go through that pain again! This time, he'll protect him.

The Lil Bro bitty is still quite tired and doesn't have enough magic for a long-range teleport, but if he could just get off the table with Blue for now, then at least they'd be safe for the time being.

He cuddles Blue close and goes for it, successfully teleporting back to the countertop he was originally on with his brother. Blue looks confused and slightly anxious when he stands in front of him to hide him from the human's view, but the Lil Bro gives him a determined look. He won't let another human take his brother away from him again.

He watches as you take a moment to look around the room in bewilderment before spotting them. As soon as your eyes meet his, he growls loudly at you and his left eye flares with magic as a threat to see if you'll back off.

Blue steps out from behind him, looking frantic. "Brother stop! She's not going to hurt us! She's not like him!"

He stops growling in surprise from hearing Blue's words, but still glares at you as he talks to his brother. "Blue, you know humans can't be trusted. I thought you of all bitties would know that."

Blue looks slightly ashamed for a moment as he looks away from him again. "I did think that, but that was before any human showed me an act of kindness. I was out on the streets until about a month ago barely surviving until Y/N came along."

The Baby Blue bitty smiles at you then, further shocking the Lil Bro as his brother continues his story. "She found me and another bitty under a dumpster, where she fed us and provided us with some blankets and towels since we were both wet and starving. She offered us a place to stay and never tried to grab us once while we ate or took the items she gave us. I could tell she didn't have any malicious intentions at the time so I agreed. I was still suspicious for a while, but time and time again she's proven herself to be caring and trustworthy." 

He beams up at you, his blue eyelights shining brightly. "I'm grateful for all she's done for me and my friend, Berry." Blue turns back to him then, his expression softening when he notices how confused he looks. "She's also the reason that we're together right now. I have no idea how she found you or why she brought you home, but now I'm even more thankful that she took me in because otherwise, we wouldn't be meeting here right now."

The Lil Bro knows his brother has a point, but he's still anxious around you. All the things his brother had said about you sounded too good to be true. But he knows that Blue would never lie to him.

You finally take this moment to speak, causing him to flinch a little. "Blue, do you need me to give you two some space? I should probably go check on Berry anyway. I'm not sure how he'll react if he wakes up and neither of us are there." You say, your face filled with concern for the other bitty. 

Blue grins up at you, looking relieved and grateful. "Thanks, Y/N. I think having some space would be helpful. I'll call if I need anything."

You nod and you turn around to leave when the Lil Bro calls out to you. "Wait." 

He freezes in fear after he does this. He can't believe he just tried to order a human to do something. Why did he try to do that? He's just an object to humans, he doesn't get a right to order them around. No way is this not going to lead to some sort of punishment for him and his brother. He trembles slightly when you stop and look back at him. You notice the worry and fear in his eye light and to his amazement, you try to reassure him. "Hey, it's ok. I'm not going to hurt you for speaking out. You can talk to me about whatever you want at anytime. Did you need something from me just now?"

The Lil Bro tries not to show the amazement and confusion he's feeling in his face. "I... I want to know what happened and why you brought me here... Please..." 

You smile gently at him. "Of course I'll tell you! But do you mind if I bring Blue's friend, Berry, down first. I don't know how long this will take and I don't want to leave him alone upstairs. He'll be quite anxious if he wakes up to find me and Blue aren't there."

You're... actually asking him if he minds? No human has ever asked for his opinion on anything before. He was just told what to do and how to act. And you actually care about a bitty that much that you feel an urgent need to check on him? This is so weird... "That's fine... I can wait."

"Ok, I'll be as quick as I can and then I'll explain everything. I presume you want to stay here Blue?"

Blue nods. "Yeah, I do."

You beam with happiness. "That's fine, Blue. I understand. Of course you'd want to stay with him for a while after you haven't seen him in so long. But wow, brothers! I'm so happy for you two that you found each other again! I'll let you two have some time alone together before I come back down ok? I'll be back soon." You leave the two alone as you head quietly upstairs to fetch Berry.

The Lil Bro just continues to stare in the direction where the human left, stunned. She's happy for them? Why? He doesn't understand. Since when did any human care for their happiness?

Blue nudges him out of his thoughts, smiling at him. "See, she won't hurt us. She's nice. You don't have to worry about anything. I promise, we're safe here."

The Lil Bro sighs while sitting down on the table, Blue doing the same shortly after. "I want to trust that we are, Blue, I really do, but I just can't. It's too soon for me. I'll still feel threatened if she comes too close to us and I may attack her. Can you not go near her for now, Blue? I'm scared that I'll react badly to her getting too close to you or me. If she really is good like you said, then I don't want to hurt her by accident because I think she's about to hurt you. Just until I can trust her too ok?" 

He feels guilty that he's practically forcing his brother to stay away from someone he was clearly willing to protect with his life from him earlier. He had almost forgotten the way he had threatened him when he was about to teleport over to hurt her, clearly feeling the intent in his magic to do so. Blue had called her 'my human' in front of him. His brother would only say that if she was really important to him. He had heard that bitties who really bonded with their humans tended to say that, though until now he thought that was just a myth. He knew this meant Blue saw her as family, as someone that needs to be protected by him and respected by others or else they'd have to deal with his wrath. 

He can barely believe this is the same Baby Blue bitty who left all those months ago, the one who used to cower in fear at the sight of every human, while he tried his best to reassure him he'd protect him from them. Now, the bitty standing in front of him is braver and confident, willing to defend others and put himself in harm's way if it meant protecting them. He's really proud of him. His brother is certainly the best out there, able to survive anything thrown his way.

Blue hugs him gently. "That's fine, brother. I understand and I can tell you want to try to trust her, but until you do I'll stay by your side at all times. I'm sure you'll feel more comfortable around her in time."

The Lil Bro hugs back. "Thanks bro. You're the coolest."

Blue smirks slightly at his brother's statement. "Hehe, I try to be."

Blues eyes widen suddenly and he turns to looks at his brother in worry. "Wait, when was the last time you ate!?"

His brother frowns as he realises he's not entirely sure. "I have no idea. I could have been out for days for all I know, but Blue I'm fine honestly. I don't feel that hungry."

Blue stands up and looks towards the pantry. "No brother. I'm getting you something now. You deserve to eat good food for once and there's plenty in the house." He's not willing to argue about this with his brother. He most likely needs to eat good food in order to recover faster from all these injuries, so it's really important that he gets some and fast.

The other bitty looks nervously towards the hallway in the direction you disappeared in. "Won't the human be angry at us for taking food?"

Blue shakes his head. "She won't be. I thought she would at first as well when I first got here, but she insisted it was ok and didn't punish me or anything when I eventually did. Here, come on." He offers the other his hand. "Let's have a look."

The Lil Bro happily takes it and his brother drags him to the pantry to grab something. Opening it wide, he sees the great selection of food available. "Anything in particular you fancy, brother?"

The Lil Bro gets a mischievous glint in his eyes and smiles smugly as he answers. "Nothing too big bro, I don't have the _stomach_ to eat much right now."

Blue glares at him, but there's a hint of a smile on his face. "Oh my stars! Was that a pun!? Because it was terrible! Probably your worst one yet! Ugh, I can't believe you just said that!"

The Lil Bro chuckles. "But Blue, I know you _loaf_ my puns really." He says pointing towards the bread his brother is pulling out. Blue groans this time. The Lil Bros grin widens. "Come on, your smiling!"

Blue refuses to acknowledge that he is, instead focusing as he prepared the food while his brother continues to pun at every available opportunity. By the time he's done preparing the food, he's had quite enough of the puns.

"BROTHER! STOP PLEASE! NO MORE OF YOUR TERRIBLE PUNS! YOU'RE GOING TO DRIVE ME INSANE! Here, take the sandwich I made you. That should stop them for a while." He pushes the plate towards him.

He happily takes it and takes a small bite out of it first just to check the taste. It's delicious! He begins wolfing down as he normally would do before, when Blue stops him. "You don't need to eat so fast brother. The food won't be taken away from you here. You can actually enjoy it! Is it any good?"

He swallows what he's eating to answer. "Yeah bro, it's great! I'll try to slow down a bit. But while I'm eating, can you maybe tell me what happened to you exactly after you left. I want to know how you managed everything. It's ok if you don't want to..." He adds seeing the others nervous face.

Blue shake his head. "No, it's fine. I will."

So for the next few minutes, he just listened as his brother described to him what he went through alone and how he eventually ended up meeting Berry and then you. He tried not to interrupt his brother as he told it, but he really wanted to stop and comfort him on some of the sadder bits, which he could tell still hurt his brother even though some of them happened a long time ago.

As he finishes recalling what happened, you appear and knock softly on the door as you enter the room again. He's instantly on high alert. Even though Blue says your safe, his soul just won't trust any humans right. Not until he could see your actions for himself. "Sorry if I scared you. Do you two want to go to the sitting room to talk? It'll be comfier in there."

You come a bit closer and he can see you're holding something against your chest as you rub your fingers gently on it's back. Another bitty? This one must be the Cherry bitty Blue talked about, Berry. He looks like he's sleeping peacefully against you as you just hold him there. The Lil Bro doesn't think he's ever seen another bitty so happy or relaxed in their sleep before. You aren't squeezing him or being rough. Your treating him gently, like he's important to you. What human ever felt that way about a bitty though?

Blue answers for them. "That sounds good, Y/N, but we'll make our own way in there and probably sit on a different seat to you so my brother feels safer, if that's ok?"

You nod in understanding. "Of course, Blue. Whatever makes you two most comfortable. I'll head in now. Follow me in when your ready." You exit the room, still cuddling the Cherry bitty close to your chest. 

He wonders how the Cherry feels safe enough in your presence to let you carry him around while he sleeps. Bitties could actually feel comfortable around their owners and sleep on them like he heard about? He wonders if it's the sound of your soul beat helping him to sleep so happily. He wonders what that sounds like...

Blue speaks up, interrupting his thoughts. "Are you ok to go in, brother?" He offers his hand.

The Lil Bro takes it gently. "Let's go." His brother pulls him into the room, squeezing his hand to comfort him as they enter. 

You're relaxing on the couch when they enter. You smile sweetly at the two of them, but he still startles away from you when he sees you there. He teleports to the armchair at the other side of the room in his fright, bringing Blue with him and landing awkwardly on him because of it. He gets up and apologises to his brother while helping him up. "Sorry Blue, didn't mean to do that."

"It's ok." He turns to you. "Do you want to explain to us what happened now, Y/N?"

You nod. "Alright. If you want to ask a question, feel free to stop me at anytime. Where to begin though... Ok, so for some time now as I walk home from work, I've been hearing cheering and yelling coming from one of the side alleys in the city. It's been bugging me for a while and today I couldn't take it anymore and I had to take a look."

Blue immediately interrupts you there. "You went down to a dangerous part of the city in the dark by yourself?! Y/N, what were you thinking?! What if you got hurt or lost or-"

"Blue I'm fine, there's not a scratch on me. I was careful and stuck to the shadows like I always do. But if it makes you feel better I won't go down there again. I just had a feeling something bad might be happening in the city and I wanted to see if I could stop it."

You scowl as you remember what you saw. "I found a bitty fighting ring run by human assholes and freaks who obviously enjoy watching other's suffering." 

Berry shifts uncomfortably in his sleep and whimpers a bit, feeling the angry emotions emitting from your soul. You try to calm down so you don't disturb him and you rub his back soothingly. "Sorry Berry. I didn't mean to get so worked up. I just can't believe that they're people out there doing this and getting away with it. Shh... It's alright Berry." You say to the sleeping bitty. He relaxes again, cuddling close into you before finding a comfortable spot where he settles.

The Lil Bro is taken aback by your attitude towards the other humans. Even he could feel the anger emitting from your soul from where he was positioned several feet away. You were angry at the humans because of what they were doing? None of the other humans seemed to have a problem with it, so why did you? Did you actually care about bitties? Did you see them as living beings and not as an object that entertains you? It's hard for him to think such a human exists, but the evidence is all around him. The Cherry is the biggest proof. You were clearly upset that you disturbed him earlier by getting angry and had comforted him until he relaxed again. You cared that much for the bitty? Did you care this much for Blue too?

"Anyways, I arrived at the very last match." She looks directly at him, sadness evident in her eyes.

"I couldn't do anything but watch as you got hurt by the other Lil Bro you were up against. You... you got injured pretty bad. Your skull cracked in several places and I honestly didn't think you were going to make it. Neither did the human who you were with previously."

So... he had been dying? Then how is he here right now?

Your voice cracks with emotion as you continue. "He... he threw you in the bin like you were garbage and then left. I couldn't just leave you there after that... especially since you had some chance to survive and be free from all the fighting. I wanted to save all the bitties there, but I couldn't since I arrived to late. I couldn't do anything except try and save you." 

He feels... guilt emitting from your soul now? He doesn't think he's ever felt such a genuine emotion from a human before. His owner just seemed angry around him all the time, only ever happy if he won a fight though that happiness never lasted long.

"I went to the adoption centre and they healed what they could there. But I'm really sorry, they told me you'd never see out of your right eye socket again. The bone that the other attacked you with must have hit you directly in the eye. They said there's a pretty nasty scar there."

He's... half blind now? His hand hovers over the bandages on his eye socket as the realisation hits. He probably should have been expecting that, but it was hard to hear that he'd never see out of it again. How is he going to protect himself or Blue properly now? He's going to be so useless now and constantly jumpy when others try to approach him from his right side. And a scar? That means he'll continue to have a reminder of the rings. Of what he's done to others. Other bitties will still be scared of him. He looks towards Blue. What if he can't even look at him when the bandages come off.

Blue gives him a sad look, pity in his eyes. "Brother? It's ok, I'm sure the scar won't look too bad and even if it does I'll still be here with you. I won't be repulsed by it, if that's what your thinking. Nothing will ever make me turn my back on you again, brother. I'm going to help you recover and I'll be there for you when the bandages are removed."

The Lil Bro sighs in relief giving his brother a look of gratitude. "Thanks Blue. I know I can get through this with your help."

You smile down at the two bitties, clearly happy they're being so supportive of one another. 

However as you continue recalling the events your face darkens once again. "She also went through the more gruesome details with me... like the collar."

Both bitties flinch at the mention of those and Blue begins trembling a short bit. The Lil Bro sends his magic out to his brother on instinct to help calm him. He really doesn't want his brother to think about them anymore.

Blue looks up at you with wide shaky eye sockets. "You know about that, Y/N?" He whispers in shock.

Your eyes fill with tears as you nod. "Yeah, Blue... I do. I won't ever make you talk to me about that though. What I heard... wasn't pleasant. I have no idea what either of you two have been through, but I want you to know I won't ever force or threaten you to do anything for me. You're free to do as you please here, you can even walk out the front door at anytime if you feel uncomfortable. And no more collars. Ever. I don't care if some places require them by law, we'll just avoid them or figure something else out. I won't make you go through that again, even if the collars are harmless."

Blue brightens up. "Really? We don't have to?"

You shake your head. "No Blue, you don't. They're stupid laws anyway. I can't stand the way you guys are treated in most places. I'll just avoid them, they're not worth it." 

You continue recounting the story for the bitties. "After the doctor told me about the collar, she said that you probably would be stuck in the adoption centre for a long time because of your past and injuries. I already felt pretty attached to you by then, so I begged her to let me adopt you and I brought you home then. I had no idea you and Blue were brothers at the time. I just didn't want you to suffer alone any longer. I wanted to see if I could give you a better life, here with me, Blue and Berry. I'm so glad I could reunite the two of you together. Do you want to ask any questions?"

The Lil Bro is too stunned to reply verbally so he just shakes his head. You saved his life out of the kindness of your heart and then adopted him because you felt bad for him. You wanted to do better for him. Unbelievable. A human who treated bitties with actual respect. He can't believe you did so much for him and brought him back to his brother who seems to be doing excellently under your care. How much does he owe you for everything you've done? If he wasn't still scared of humans he would teleported closer to thank you properly. But instead he just stands there and stares at you curiously wondering why you felt the need to help him.

Blue also shakes his head beside him. You lean back into the couch a bit. "I think that's everything then, maybe now everything can- OH!"

The Lil Bro jumps a bit at your exclamation. "I'm sorry, how rude of me. In my excitement I never asked. Do you have a name?"

There was an uncomfortable silence as the Lil Bro scowls and Blue looks towards him sadly. You panic a bit as you try to apologise for offending him. "I'm sorry! If that's a touchy subject we can-"

He cuts you off. "No... it's fine. I just... hate it. It reminds me of what I had to do in the rings."

You frown. "Oh... but hey! We can come up with a different name for you, how does that sound? Are you ok with that?"

He thinks for a moment. A new name? It might help him move on in his life he supposes, but he's still not sure about it.  
"... Can I say no if I don't like it?"

"Definitely. It's your decision after all. Now let me think for a moment..." 

You look towards Blue as you do so, before your face lights up with an idea. "How does Muffin sound?"

He's confused about the name. Muffin? Isn't that some kind of cake or something? He's never had one before so he's not entirely sure. Looking towards Blue, he notices that his brother seems to like the name.

Blue is smiling up at you, his face lit up in happiness. "The name will complete the trio of Blue, Berry and Muffin! Clever thinking Y/N! Do you like it brother?"

He can tell his brother really likes it and it's way better than his old name, so why would he say no? "I'm happy as long as your happy bro. You can call me Muffin if you want to."

You smile joyfully. "Ok, that's settled then. Welcome to our home Muffin, which is also now yours if you want it to be. You can go wherever you like and do whatever you want. Also if your still nervous around me, you can sleep wherever you feel most comfortable each night. Normally Blue and Berry sleep on me as you can see Berry doing right now, but you don't have to if you don't want. I won't ever grab you and if you want me to give you some space, just tell me and I will."

He nods showing he understands. He finally gets to do whatever he wants? He's overjoyed about that but he's still finding all of this so strange. Perhaps he'd get used to it in time.

You yawn widely and stretch. "Sorry I have to go to bed now or I won't be able to get up tomorrow. Are you two ok down here? Do you need blankets or anything."

Blue shakes his head. "We'll be fine Y/N. Go to bed and stop worrying about us. You need to get up for your alarm. I'm not dealing with your laziness tomorrow!"

You giggle. "Alright Blue. I'll try. Night."

He calls out to you as you leave. "Wait, one more thing... I already had so many reasons to be thankful for everything you do for me and Berry. But now because of you, my brother is here beside me and free." He beams up at you, happy tears in his eye sockets. "You saved his life Y/N. I don't know how I'll ever repay you for that. Thank you!"

The Lil Bro steps forward beside his brother. "I need to thank you too. Blue is right. I would be dust if it wasn't for you and I would never have seen Blue again. Thanks."

"You guys, there's no need to thank me ok. I wasn't going to leave someone in need suffering with no one to care for them. I did it because it was right. You don't have to repay me for that. I'd do it again in a heartbeat. I'm just happy I saved you Muffin and your with your brother again. I'm going to head upstairs with Berry now. I'll explain to him what's going on when he wakes up. If you need anything please call me alright" After getting nods of confirmation from both bitties, you leave and head to your room.

Blue looks towards his brother. "Would you like to sleep on the couch, brother? It should be comfortable enough for the both of us."

"I'm happy as long as it's not in a cage. I still can't believe this human though. Y/N, was it? Never seen a human like her. She's... interesting." They both lie down on the sofa next to each other and stare at the ceiling as they continue to talk.

Blue smiles. "She surprises me every day with her actions. She's never gotten angry with me or Berry before even when we've messed up in the past. She only gets mad at other humans it seems."

Muffin wonders why she seems to care so much about them. He really can't understand it. "That's really strange to me. I'll try and see if I can get comfortable enough around her to get close. I do want to try to trust her, especially after all she's done for us. For now though we should probably get some sleep"

The bitties snuggle close as they settle down to rest.

Muffin happily closes his eye sockets glad his brother is near him once again. "Good night bro. I love you."

Blue snuggles closer, making Muffin smile happily as he drifts off, feeling comfortable enough to sleep without worry for the first time ever as Blue replies. "Love you too, brother."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We've got Blue, Berry and Muffin now, the complete set!! If you guessed that's what he'd be called then well done ^^. I know I'm a pretty obvious writer and I suck at plot twists but I try my best haha. ( • ̀ω•́ )✧


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Authors list of apologies.
> 
> 1\. How long it took me to write this chapter.  
> 2\. How short this chapter is in comparison to some of the others.  
> 3\. How terrible this chapter is.
> 
> I'M SO SORRY!!!
> 
> I REALLY TRIED!!
> 
> Might have to make the arc an extra chapter but I'll figure that out when I start writing it. I refuse to give up with this story though, no matter how much writers block destroys me.
> 
> PLEASE FORGIVE ME FOR THIS CHAPTER THOUGH AAAHHH. Definitely not one of my best.

Berry P.O.V.

Berry is very confused to wake up to the sound of your alarm to find that Blue is not sleeping beside him like he usually is.

He pats the side of your face, gently trying to wake you up fully since your alarm didn't seem to be doing a very good job at it. "Y/N, wake up please. Do you know where Blue could be? He doesn't seem to be around here."

You sit up and stretch a bit before answering, rubbing his skull with your finger gently. "Sorry for that small wait Berry. I'm still pretty tired after everything. He's downstairs right now. I'll explain to you what's going on before we head down there ok."

Berry tilts his head in confusion but nods. You recall what happened yesterday to the bitty and by the end of it Berry is delighted for Blue. He's really happy he got his brother back.

Blue had told him about his brother the first time they met. He had seen the sadness and guilt in his eyelights as he talked about the other, blaming himself for the pain his brother went through. Berry is glad that the Lil Bro finally got out of the terrible place that Blue described to him and is now reunited with his brother.

Berry understands that the Lil Bro might be nervous around other bitties as well as humans so he won't try to get too close to the other for now, unless he's ok with it.

You smile and offer him your palm to climb onto once you're finished. "Shall we go downstairs now and see how they're doing?"

He nods climbing onto the palm of your hand. "Yeah. Let's go."

You walk downstairs and into the living room, trying to be quiet in case Blue and Muffin are sleeping. Blue is still asleep when you walk in, his skull resting on his brother's shoulder as Muffin watches the two of you enter warily, his eye sockets narrowed.

"Hey Muffin, good morning." You greet him cheerfully. "Did you sleep well?"

He looks confused and unsure of how to respond before he just nods his head slightly. Berry notices that Muffin spots him then, looking at him with interest. He wonders what the other is thinking right now.

You beam at him, trying to act friendly to make the bitty more comfortable in your presence. "That's great! Don't worry, I won't disturb Blue now since he looks so relaxed. I just wanted to introduce you to Berry now that he's awake."

Berry gives him a small wave, nervous as to how the other will react. "H-Hi."

Again, Muffin looks uncertain as to what to say as he just stares at him somewhat curiously. Berry feels slightly intimidated under his gaze. 

"Hey." The Lil Bro quietly responds after awhile, relaxing a small bit since both of you are keeping your distance. Berry is happy enough to get any response from the other.

Berry can see where Blue gets his protective instinct from. It's obvious Muffin will defend his brother until his last breath if he has to and Berry knows Blue will do the same for him. 

You speak up, breaking the uncomfortable silence that was really beginning to bother Berry. "Well, I'm going to start making some breakfast in the kitchen now. I'll make something for you and Blue so he'll have something for when he wakes up." You check your watch, your eyes widening a slight bit as you notice the time. "I better hurry, I don't have much time before I'm supposed to be at work. You ok to help me Berry?"

He nods happily and you leave the two brothers in the living room as the two of you head into the kitchen and begin preparing breakfast. Both of you remain quiet, not really knowing what to say as you hurriedly put cereal into four bowls, one big and three bitty sized. Berry doesn't want to distract you since you're obviously in a rush. He just gets you some things when you ask for them.

He's lost in thought as the two of you prepare the meal. He really is happy for Blue, but he can't help but wonder; does Blue even need him anymore? Will he still look out for him now? He knows they aren't actually brothers, but he had always seen Blue as one he never had. He understands if Blue isn't as close to him after this, knowing his real brother is back in his life again. He won't resent either of them if that's the case, he still has you after all. 

Not having Blue to keep you organised today means you're a bit of a mess right now. You're currently trying to stuff a bunch of papers into your bag, but it's not exactly working out for you as some of them fall out of your hand and land messily all over the floor. Letting out a groan, you bend over to pick them up and organise them again. Berry pats your shoulder encouragingly before hopping off to try to help you. He can tell you're getting quite frustrated.

You're halfway through the job when Berry hears a scoff coming from the doorway. 

Blue stands there with his brother, squeezing Muffin's hand in encouragement as the other nervously watches you. Blue taps his foot in annoyance as he stares at the mess on the floor, looking very unimpressed. "Honestly Y/N, I leave you to organise yourself for one day and this is what happens? I don't understand how you ever managed yourself before."

You laugh nervously. "I didn't really..."

Blue rolls his eye lights at you, before looking concerned. "Will you be ok at work today? I know we aren't supposed to come with you to this job... but I still can't help but worry, especially after you went into that alley yesterday."

You stop picking up papers for a second to smile reassuringly at the bitty. "Hey, I told you I won't do that again. I promise I'll be fine. Breakfast is on the table for you, Muffin and Berry whenever you're all ready. I probably should get going now though."

You quickly grab the rest of the papers and stuff them into your bag. Grabbing the bowl of cereal you prepared yourself earlier, you hurriedly eat a few spoons before placing it near the sink to clean later. You then pick up the bag and run out the door with a quick bye to all the bitties. 

Blue sighs at your actions before turning to Berry, a smile on his face. "Hi Berry! Sorry I wasn't there this morning. I presume Y/N told you what happened last night?"

Berry nods. "Yeah, she did. I'm so happy that you two found each other again!" He rubs his arm nervously as he stands there, wondering if he should go to give the two some time to themselves. "Do you want me to leave you two alone? I can just go to the bitty house if my presence is making you both uncomfortable."

Blue looks slightly shocked at the others words as he frowns sadly at him. "Berry you don't have to leave if you don't want to. You're not bothering us, I promise. Muffin isn't afraid of you if that's what you're thinking, he's just scared of humans like I was."

Muffin looks to Berry while rubbing the back of his skull as he sighs. "Yeah... I ugh... honestly thought you would be afraid of me, knowing my past and what I've done to other bitties... I'd understand if you wanted to stay as far away from me as possible."

Berry's eye sockets widen. "N-No, I don't. I get that you did what you had to to survive. Blue has told me how much you mean to him and all the things you have done to protect him. I'm glad he has someone like you to look after him, like how he looks after me." He honestly isn't scared of the Lil Bro at all. He didn't seem all that bad to him and he knows he didn't have a choice when it came to hurting the other bitties.

Both Muffin and Blue smile at those words. Muffin takes a step forward towards him but hesitates. "Do you mind if we teleport over to you?"

Berry shakes his head. He doesn't mind. "You can if you want, though... I'm only like a few inches away from you." He tilts his skull in confusion. "Couldn't you just walk over here?"

The two disappear and then reappear behind him, startling him just a bit. "Nah, too much of a lazy _bones_ for that, I'm afraid." Muffin says smirking.

Blue groans loudly into his hands as the other chuckles. Muffin extends a hand towards Berry, smiling warmly at the other. "Sorry about the way I was acting earlier, I'm still very nervous around humans and didn't really know how to act around yours. Let's try this introduction again. Hi, I'm Muffin, a lil bro bitty who enjoys puns and being close to my cool brother, Blue."

Berry grabs the others hand and shakes it nervously. "H-Hi, I'm Berry. I'm a cherry bitty. Um... I like helping Blue and Y/N cook on occasion and going to the park for picnics. It's nice to meet you."

"Same here." Muffin says grinning happily.

Blue watches them interact with stars in his eye lights. "I'm so happy my two favourite bitties are getting along! We'll get you settled in in no time brother! Oh, we should show you around the bitty house soon, after we've all eaten breakfast of course!"

Muffin laughs at Blue's obvious excitement before he teleports all of them on to the table. After he makes sure the food hasn't been tampered with in anyway, the three of them begin eating. They sit in a circle so Berry doesn't feel left out. Blue encourages his brother to slow down as he begins wolfing the food down again. Berry knows it will take the bitty a while to get used to everything here. He hopes the other will feel safer here in time.

After they're done, the three of them just sit back and talk for a while. Berry is glad that both brothers try to include him in their conversations. He had honestly thought he'd just end up sitting awkwardly at their side while they chatted with each other. It's nice to be able to get to know Muffin better and find out even more about Blue. He feels like he's really bonding with the two of them.

Blue stands up all of a sudden, looking towards Berry with excitement. "Let's show him around the bitty house now."

Berry giggles, he doesn't think he's ever seen Blue this excited before. "Ok."

Muffin does a number of small teleports up to your room, much to Blue's annoyance since he claims they could have got up there eventually if they just walked. 

Berry can tell Muffin is still being very cautious travelling around the house, as if he thinks you're going to appear any moment or something is going to try and trap them. He can't really judge the other for this. He knows what it's like travelling around a house where one wrong step could lead to an angry human lashing out at him. 

He shakes his head to dismiss the thought of that human. He doesn't have to deal with her anymore. She can't hurt him here. He hopes Muffin is able to settle in and enjoy your company one day.

Blue happily gives his brother a tour of the bitty house showing him every nook and cranny with great enthusiasm. Berry can tell Muffin is amazed by the amount of furniture and clothes the two have in the house. You had really gone all out on spending that day in the adoption centre. He feels bad that they can't repay you in some way, even if you insist that there's no need to and that you were still happy you spent all that money on the two of them, despite the situation now.

"The human bought all of this for you?" Muffin asks in disbelief as Blue shows off his mostly blue scarf and bandana collection to the other.

Blue beams. "Yeah, she did! I'm sure she'll get you some stuff soon too when she's able to."

Muffin looks unsure about that but nods anyway.

The three hang out in the house and talk for a while before Blue announces it's time for lunch. They head back to the kitchen where he insists on making a meal for the three of them by himself as he shoos the others away from the countertop so he can work in peace. Berry feels comfortable enough in Muffins presence now, so doesn't mind being left alone with him. Blue is still close by anyway.

The two of them watch Blue work at a distance. Muffin calls out an occasional food pun to his brother while he prepares the meal, making him quite annoyed. Berry notices how relaxed the Lil Bro is as he leans back and jokes, making him smile.

Muffin pauses his joking and turns to him at one stage. "Hey Berry?"

Berry looks towards him and smiles. "Y-Yes?"

"I, um... just wanted to say thanks... for being there for my brother when I couldn't be. I know that Blue thinks really highly of you from the stories he was telling me before and that you helped him get through quite a bit. I think you honestly saved him from dusting while you we're out on the streets together and I can't thank you enough for preventing that." Muffin smiles at him warmly.

Berry has shock written all over his face as he shakes his head at the others statement. He has no idea why Muffin would think that. He had thought that he's just a burden to Blue, always complaining about everything and making his life harder. "I didn't do anything like that really. Blue is the one who saved me, not the other way around. He seemed to be doing ok surviving on the streets and with the promise of food and shelter, I joined him after I was kicked out by first human. I would have dusted that night if it wasn't for him. I owe him my life. I'm pretty sure I just made everything harder for him."

Muffin looks thoughtful. "It seems like the two of you must have saved each other then. Do you not see how being there for my brother gave him the hope he needed to survive? There's no doubt in my mind that you're one of the main reasons I'm finally able to be with my brother again. Blue tries his best to protect and look after you right? I promise to do the same now. If Blue sees you as part of his family, then I definitely do too."

Berry blinks, wondering if he just heard the other correctly. He seriously doubts he helped Blue in any way, but he knows the other will insist on it so he decides to drop it. "Y-You don't have to do that for me... I'm just happy that you're accepting me and trying to include me in everything."

Muffin nudges him gently. "Hey, it's fine, I want to as a way of thanking you for looking after my bro."

Berry smiles shyly. It's obvious the other won't take no as an answer. Berry knows that Muffin feels the need to do this, so gives in. "Ok. If you're sure."

Muffin nods seriously. "I'm sure."

Blue calls out then to tell them that the food is ready. Muffin stands first and offers him a hand to help him up, which Berry happily takes.

Muffin teleports the two of them back over to the countertop and as Blue beckons them over, Berry thinks about how happy he is now to live with such amazing bitties and you. He's still confused as to why you all act like he's a great bitty when he keeps making so many mistakes and seems to be a burden to everyone, but he's grateful that you all seem to care so much about him. It's nice to have others he can turn to when he needs them.

He's so thankful that you allowed all this to happen. You worked so hard for them, to keep them safe from the other cruel humans who seemed to live all over the city and they couldn't really help you much in response. He really wishes he could do more for you...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also hi to everyone new who kept giving me kudos. They definitely encouraged me to keep trying.
> 
> Also to the older readers as well who have been here for a while... thanks for waiting and I apologise I haven't posted as often as I used to. 
> 
> Writing 4 different books at the same time is definitely hard enough, but I'll figure this out.
> 
> I appreciate all of the support you guys give me. (*´˘`*)♡
> 
> Thanks for reading.


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me: I’ll have the next chapter out for the 6th since that’s the third month anniversary of the beginning of this fix. Nothing will stop me from getting it out. NOTHING!!!
> 
> Headache: Are you sure about that :3
> 
> Me: :/ Never mind.
> 
> So yeah, sorry about the delay.
> 
> Hope you enjoy and thanks for over 200 kudos!?!?! LIKE SERIOUSLY, THANK YOU!!!

Y/N P.O.V.

Work was fine today, but it’s always strange going to your new job without the bitties. You’d gotten pretty used to Blue and Berry’s company around the city, so walking home without them just felt... lonely.

Coming to the front door of your house, you sigh in frustration as you realize you have no idea where your keys are. They’re probably buried under all the other contents of your handbag...  
_Great..._.

These kinds of problems always made you even more grateful for the bitties in your life now. Blue would have made sure that you knew exactly where your keys are if he came with you or Berry could help you find them quickly. 

Reaching your hand in to the bag and fumbling around for the keys for three long infuriating minutes, you eventually find them at the very bottom of it. Typical...

Luckily for you, it’s a really sunny day outside today. It’s an ideal day to go to the park, but you’re not sure if Muffin would be too keen on the idea, since you’d have to carry him there. Maybe there’s something else you can do outside?

You unlock the door and head inside, wondering where the bitties could be. You’d call out to them to find out, but your mindful that your yelling might frighten Muffin. Guess you’ll just search all the rooms until you find them... Not exactly ideal, but you don’t mind.

After a bit of searching, you find them on the kitchen countertop and are glad to see all of them laughing and enjoying each other’s company.

Hopefully your presence won’t-  
Oh, never mind...  
It looks like you’ve already ruined the good mood as Muffin suddenly flinches, noticing you standing in the doorway and immediately standing at fall alert with a low growl.

It always hurts to see just how scared the bitty is of you, but you keep smiling gently anyway. Frowning would just make him more scared and unsure. You just had to keep hoping he wouldn’t see you as a threat one day.

You take a step away from them, hoping that might calm him a little. “Sorry, I should have said something to let you know I got back, but I didn’t want to ruin the moment since you all looked so happy... Looks like I ended up ruining it anyway though...” You mumble that last part to yourself, but the bitties still hear you say it.

Muffin stops growling to give you a confused look, as if he can’t understand why you’re slightly upset. 

Berry comes out from behind him and hops off the countertop, making his way over to you. You can see the Lil Bro watching you very carefully as you bend over and cup your hands to pick up Berry. 

The bitty steps eagerly into your hold and you lift him to your shoulder. He gives you a gentle hug in comfort as he steps on. “It’s ok, Y/N. We know you didn’t mean to. We were just talking anyway.”

You stroke the bitty lovingly with your finger. You notice Muffin tenses, narrowing his eyes at you when you raise your fingers towards the bitty as if he thinks your about to hit him, but he relaxes when the other leans into the touch and hums happily.

You continue to rub the bitty’s skull in affection with your finger. “I just feel bad about scaring you, that’s all. Thanks for trying to make me feel better. How was your day, Berry?”

Berry beams, looking up at you with starry eye lights. “It was great, we were just chatting for most of the day, but it was really fun!”

“Glad to hear it, Berry!” You turn to Blue and Muffin who are still on the countertop. “You two enjoy yourselves as well?”

Blue answers for the two of them, coming to stand beside his brother as he takes his hand encouragingly once again, squeezing it in comfort as he smiles. “We had a really nice day, Y/N. Thanks for asking!”

Your smile widens at the comforting action. They’re just so cute together! “That’s great you two! Oh, I almost forgot...”

You reach into your bag and pull out some bitty clothes you bought from the adoption center after work. You had just stopped there for a moment in order to get better clothes for Muffin. You’re sure he probably doesn’t want to be stuck in the adoption centers clothes for too long, so you had made it your mission to get more comfortable clothing as soon as you could. He deserves all this after what he’s been through and you really want to spoil him.

“I got you a few outfits from the store, Muffin. I um... wasn’t sure what you’d like, so I just got some generic outfits for your type of bitty in different shades of orange, as I’ve been told Lil Bros like that color, so hopefully you’ll like them.” You notice he curiously leans closer to try to see what you’ve bought. You’re happy to see he’s interested.

“If you don’t like them though that’s fine too. You don’t have to wear them.” You add quickly. You don’t want him to feel like your forcing him to wear them just because you bought them.

You lay all of the clothes on the table and take a step back so the bitty can have a look at them without you being too close. 

Blue’s eye lights are stars as he sees all of them. “Wow brother, look at them all! We should pick out something cool for you to wear now! Oh, if you want to, of course...”

The Lil Bro grins at his brother’s enthusiasm. “Sure bro, let’s have a look.”

You watch as the brothers disappear off the countertop before reappearing beside the pile of outfits, surprising you slightly. You keep forgetting that certain bitty types can teleport from one place to another. It’ll probably take you some time to get used to him randomly darting around the house.

For the next ten minutes, Blue happily lifts up some of the outfits for his brother to inspect before Muffin finally settles on an outfit. It consists of a white t-shirt with a skeleton pun printed on the front of it (you thought it had pretty funny, but Blue was not impressed by it), a plain orange hoodie and brown shorts. 

Blue and Berry decide to accompany Muffin to their house so he can change. You stay downstairs as they do this, preparing a cold drink for yourself to try to cool down and relax a bit after work. Maybe if you couldn’t go to the park with the bitties, you could just attend to your flowers or even have a small picnic in the garden. This day just seemed too nice to miss. Who knows when you’ll get another one like it.

A voice calls your name from nearby, shaking you from your thoughts. Blue and Berry beam at you happily as Muffin stands beside them in his new clothes. Looking at him now, you can hardly believe that this is the same bitty you rescued from the fighting ring yesterday. You’re glad to see he’s looking so much better now and it’s only been one day!

“You look great, Muffin! How’s the size? Do they fit ok, are they comfortable?”

He places his hands into the hoodies pockets as he answers. “Yeah... they’re fine... thanks.”

Yay! He’s actually speaking to you again directly, not just nodding or shaking his head. You’re making progress!

“You’re welcome. I’m happy to hear you like them. I was worried you wouldn’t. Not that I’d have minded if you didn’t like them.”

Sunlight floods the room at that moment as it enters from one of the windows. You decide to share your idea with the bitties, hoping they’ll like the sound of it.

“Do you guys want to go outside in the garden for a while? It’s such a lovely day, it would be a shame to waste it indoors. We can even have a picnic out there if ye want! I can grab a blanket and bring out some snacks and everything!” You tell them excitedly, before realizing they might not be as keen on the idea so you decide to hurriedly add in. “Only if you all want to though, no pressure.”

Blue and Berry look almost as excited about the idea as you are, but Muffin gives you a confused look, seemingly unsure about something. “Why would you let us outside, aren’t you afraid we’ll try to run off or something?”

He suddenly looks horrified, like he just said something awful to you and he takes a step back, lowering his skull to look at the floor. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to be rude, I-“

“Whoa, hey, hey Muffin it’s fine. You didn’t do anything wrong, you just asked a question. It’s ok. You’re allowed to go outside at any time and... you don’t have to stay here in this house if you would rather be somewhere else. I don’t want any of you to feel like you have to be here with me. I’m happy as long as you guys are safe, fed and content. If you’d rather just leave, I’ll let you do that and support you until you find a place to call home, though I’d visit often to make sure you _never_ end up in a bad situation again. For now, how about we just go outside and you can think about what I said, you alright with that?”

The Lil bro looks dumbfounded as he nods in agreement. 

“Great. Shall I-“ Taking a step towards the bitties, you’re about to offer to carry him and his brother out when you remember Muffin’s fear of humans. “Oh right, um... do you two want to follow us out?”

Both bitties exchange looks before turning back to you. “Sounds good, Y/N.” Blue answers you merrily.

“Cool, Berry and I will go find a blanket we can use for our picnic... Oh and I’ll prepare some yummy treats as well! You guys can go find the perfect spot for us to sit outside while we’re doing that.”

You head towards the front door after picking Berry up and placing him on your right shoulder. The other two bitties following right behind you.

You unlock the door and open it for them. Both bitties remain where they are, with Muffin looking as if he’s deep in thought over something. You’re honestly surprised he didn’t make an immediate run for it. You wouldn’t blame him for doing it, he’d been trapped in a terrible situation for most of his life after all and is most likely desperate for some sort of freedom. You wonder why he’s hesitating...

Muffin P.O.V

Muffin wants to run out there so badly, but he’s nervous. His previous experiences of being outside without being in a cage... never ended well. He knows he’s not with the other human anymore, but he can’t hold back the small shudder that comes over him when he thinks of all the escape plans he tried back with him that went so horribly wrong. The prospect of being so out in the open outside terrifies him. A part of him would rather be stuck in a cage while outside, at least with the familiar setting he’d know what to expect. He has no idea what might happen if he steps out. Are there traps out there or animals that he needs to be worried about!? Or what about-

A gentle hand resting on his left shoulder snaps him out of his daze and he sees Blue beside him, worry written all over his face.

“Are you going to be alright, brother? If you’re more comfortable inside we can stay indoors? I don’t mind.”

Muffin shakes his head, taking a deep breath. He can do this, for himself and for Blue. This time it’ll be different, he doesn’t have a collar on and has full access to his magic. And Blue is here with him. They’ll be fine.

“Sorry just needed a moment there bro, but I’m good now. Let’s go.”

Just as he’s about to take his first step outside, you call out to them. “Oh, sorry boys one more thing before you go.”

Muffin almost groans in annoyance when you stop them. You’d probably come up with some excuse as to why they couldn’t go outside, scared they’d leave for good. This would happen just as he was beginning to trust you a little and hope things could finally be better.

“Just be careful and don’t go too close to the garden fence. Other humans might pass by and I wouldn’t trust them. Don’t talk to anyone else, even if they claim they know me, they could be dangerous. I’ll be out soon to keep an eye on you guys and to protect you from any bad humans, but you should be alright for a little while.” 

You’re... worried about them? Because you’re afraid of what the other humans could do to them? Seriously? Why do you care about what other humans do to them?

“Sorry if I’m scaring you in any way, there’s little chance anything will happen. I’m only saying all this since I’m worried about other humans, but I think you boys are well capable of looking after yourselves. Just stay close to one another and watch each other’s backs, though I’m sure you’ll do that anyway. We’ll be two minutes. Call if you need anything.”

Leaving the door open slightly, you and Berry disappear back inside the house, leaving Muffin feeling bewildered by everything you just said.

You... really seem to care about them? But why? What have they done for you? You don’t seem to care about the fact you just spent loads of your money on clothes for him, even though he can’t pay you back for that. Surely you expect something from him in return, right? But then why give him the option to leave? Ugh this is all so confusing! What do you want from them? Humans _always_ want something.

Blue takes his hand then, looking eager to move away from the doorstep. “Come on, Muffin. Let’s go! I want to show you some of the things we’ve been growing in the garden. It’ll be fun!” 

“Alright, anything for you bro.” Muffin chuckles as his brother gently pulls him off the step in the direction of one of the flower patches. He feels himself relax a little, thanks to Blue’s presence.

It’s great to feel natural sunlight on his bones after being trapped in that dark basement for all this time. He touches some of the blades of grass as they walk along together, thinking how surreal this all is. He’s still wondering if this could be a dream that he’ll wake up from soon. But this is real. His brother is really there in front of him, chatting away as he pulls him along. A part of him wants to cry like a baby bones in happiness, but he really doesn’t want to ruin this. He’s going to appreciate every good moment he can get with his brother to the fullest.

When they reach the small patch of flowers, Muffin breathes in the heavenly aroma of all the different types of plants. A pleasant, light breeze is blowing through the garden, making the delightful smell even more prominent as the flowers shake gently in the wind. He closes his eye sockets in bliss as he enjoys feeling the fresh air all around him and listening to his brothers voice. Muffin can’t remember a time where he’s ever felt so at peace before.

Just knowing he didn’t send his brother to his death all those months ago, that he’s alive and safe right now; those thoughts bring him so much peace. Blue is happy and that’s all Muffin ever wanted for him.

Are you one of the reasons why Blue is so happy? It definitely seems that way. Muffin had been planning to take Blue and run originally but... that probably wouldn’t be the right thing to do. His brother is somewhat attached to you and he knows he wouldn’t be able to convince him to leave.

Blue said he’d been barely surviving on the streets with Berry until you came along. He doesn’t want to force his brother back into that kind of situation. Also he knows it would only be a matter of time before they’re caught by a different human and end up in another terrible situation. This could be the best they’re going to get. He just hopes you’ll continue treating them the way you are now.

Blue is happy here, so they’ll stay. He’ll definitely need to work on his relationship with you so he can feel more comfortable in your presence and not flinch or growl every time you startle or get near him.

He did feel bad that he growled at you when you arrived home earlier, but you had startled him by just coming out of nowhere and staring at them while they had talked. It was like you were planning to do something to them, so his fighting instincts had kicked in. He didn’t expect to be hit so hard by the immense feeling of guilt emanating from your soul afterwards as you apologized. There was no way you could’ve faked an emotion like that. 

He can’t keep Blue away from you forever, so he’s going to have to get used to the idea of you carrying them around or even petting them like you did with Berry earlier. That would take him quite a while to be comfortable with, but he’ll just have to do this in baby steps.

“Hey guys! We’ve got the blanket and the snacks whenever you’re ready to join us!” You call out to them as you wave frantically from doorstep, a folded up blanket under one arm and a picnic basket in your hand. 

You walk to the centre of the garden where you spread the blanket out on the ground before sitting on it, placing Berry gently down beside you. 

As you begin unpacking things from the basket, Blue and Muffin make their way over to where you’re setting things up and sit beside Berry. 

Muffin is relieved to see that the other bitty is unharmed. He can tell Blue and Berry have a strong relationship similar to their own and that Blue would be devastated if anything happened to him. He finds he really enjoys Berry’s company himself and was honestly scared that you’d try something while you were inside with him, since neither him or Blue were there. But Berry is completely fine, thank the stars.

He watches as you dig deep into the basket, face lighting up excitedly as you find what you’re looking for. You pull out some kind of tub and place it down on the blanket in front of them, before returning to the basket and pulling out one large and three bitty sized spoons. Both Blue and Berry are looking pretty excited about this, but Muffin has no idea what’s going on.

You tap the top of the containers lid as you explain. “I thought since it was such a hot day outside, we all deserved a frozen treat of some sort and what’s better than ice cream!? I thought we could try this new honeycomb flavor they just got in recently. I’ve heard it’s supposed to be pretty good!”

Muffin perks up a little at the sound of that. He’s never tried anything with honey before, but the other Lil Bros he used to know had said it tasted heavenly.

You waste no time opening the lid and scooping up some ice cream with your spoon. You hum happily at the taste when you try some. 

“It’s really good! Do you all wanna try some before I end up eating the entire tub myself!?” You ask, already scooping up another bit.

You hand Berry the three smaller spoons and push the tub closer to the bitties so they can dig in. Well at least this time, Muffin knows for definite you didn’t drug it or anything, considering you just ate some yourself. Seeing as how Blue and Berry are already tucking in eagerly and commenting on it’s amazing taste, he decides to give it a try. He puts a little bit into his mouth...

His face lights up at the sweet taste. It’s _sooo_ good, how did he ever survive without this before? He finds himself taking another spoon, then another, until finally between the three bitties, the tub is completely gone. Muffin knows he definitely ate the most though. There was just no stopping him, the sweetness of the ice cream just kept calling to him when he tried to stop to give the others a chance to have some. He’d never had anything like that before.

He gives the other bitties an apologetic look, rubbing the back of his skull nervously. “Heh, sorry I uh... got a little carried away.”

Blue shakes his head at his behavior, though Muffin can see he’s smiling.

You giggle as you pick the empty tub back up and put it away in the basket. “Guess that flavor’s a winner then! I’ll have to buy it more often. Maybe I can get us more during our next shopping trip, considering you enjoyed it so much, Muffin.”

You’d buy it just for him? Or was it because you also seemed to enjoy it too? Eh, whatever the reason is, he’s certainly not going to object more of that heavenly delight! The sooner he can get more of that, the better!

Muffin then notices you’ve pulled out a pair of sunglasses from the basket and placing them over your head, you lie back on the blanket, looking pretty relaxed. “Just going to close my eyes and rest for a moment. I’m still quite tired from work, but don’t hesitate to call or wake me if you need anything ok? There’s more snacks and drinks in the basket if you want.”

All of them agree with a nod and you place your hands behind your head in relaxation as you attempt to get into a comfortable position. Berry climbs on and happily lays down on your chest, looking content and full from the ice cream he just ate.

Muffin realizes just then how much you trust all of them. You were so open and vulnerable right now, an easy target with your guard down like this. With his magic, Muffin could easily injure you greatly or hell maybe he could even kill you if he wanted to. Even a bitty like Berry could do something to hurt you while you’re like this and you’re letting him climb all over you! Do you simply not realize how dangerous they all are or do you actually just trust them that much not to harm you? 

Feeling a little brave, Muffin decides to get up from where he’s sitting beside his brother and head to the basket to see what else he can find in there. It still feels wrong to take anything from a human, but you don’t seem to mind them doing that. He wants to slowly start pushing himself out of his comfort zone around you. Taking food and leaving Blue on his own near you, even if it is just for a moment, is definitely making him nervous. Not to mention the fact that your hand is pretty close and could easily grab him now. He knows you’re not asleep right now too, so there is a possibility you’ll try to reach out and touch him.

Grabbing some strawberries from the basket, he quickly but calmly makes his way back to Blue, who has a big grin on his face. “Those look delicious, Muffin. Thank you!” Blue is obviously pleased that he’s getting braver around you, though that remains unsaid. 

They eat the fruit in silence, both of them leaning back as they enjoy each other’s company and the beautiful weather. Muffin could get used to this...

—————————

To your utmost surprise later on in the day, Muffin told you that he’d be comfortable enough to sleep in the bitty house tonight. It was definitely stepping out of his comfort zone since it’s in the same room that you’re sleeping in, but if you’re willing to trust them, then he’ll try to trust you back.

He knows he can’t keep Berry away from you so the Cherry bitty will still be sleeping with you tonight. Muffin trusts Berry and knows he’ll be fine.

Since he’s quite tired, Blue is already inside the house waiting for him, but Muffin wants to speak to you before joining him.

He’s on your bedside table at the moment, waiting for you to finish changing. The longer he waits the more anxious he’s getting. Just as he’s about to consider backing out of doing this, you appear and spot him there.

You jump a little, obviously not expecting him to be standing there, staring at you. “Oh, Muffin! What can I do for you?”

Welp... here goes nothing...  
“Um... Hu- I mean Y/N.” He stops himself from calling you ‘human’ since you seem to prefer being called by your name.

“I know I said thanks to you yesterday for saving my life, but I feel like I should’ve said more and that I wasn’t sincere enough. I know how much Blue likes you and I want to get to know you better too, but I’m still recovering from my last human and I... I guess I’m scared... to believe in humans anymore. I can see how much you seem to trust me already, so I want to give you a chance... but... I’m still...”

“Afraid?” You finish for him, sympathy written all over your face.

“Y-Yeah.” He admits, feeling bad as he senses the guilt from your soul again.

“Listen Muffin. You don’t have to trust me right away. I don’t know what you’ve been through and I won’t ever pretend that I understand what your feeling, but I want you to know that I won’t judge every time you flinch or growl around me. I don’t want you to feel that you have to open up to me. If you don’t want me to ever touch you, I’ll respect that decision. Do things at your own pace, Muffin. Just know I’m here for you if you need it, ok?”

Muffin sighs in relief, happy to be able to talk to you and feel that you seem to understand his nervousness. He still can’t be sure if you’ll stick to what you said right now. But it’s a start and it’s helped him feel more relaxed, so he’s grateful for that.

“O-Ok. Thanks... Y/N. Good night.”

You beam as he thanks you. “You’re welcome, good night Muffin!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Edit 5/09/2020  
> I promise I’m still working on this story. Things have just been _really_ slow with me recently and I haven’t posted anything in over a month. My plan is to finish two chapters in my other series work, then work on the next chapter of this before getting back to the other story in this series. Please bear with me while I try to work myself back into a schedule.
> 
> Thanks everyone.  
> Kudos to all of you who have been patiently waiting since June and thanks to everyone new here for checking out this story.


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’M ALIVE!  
> See, I told you I’d come back. It just... took a lot longer than I expected :/. This chapter just didn’t want to be written, but I got there in the end. Sorry for the long wait!
> 
> Hope you enjoy the conclusion to this arc!

Muffin has been making some great improvements recently. Over the past three days, he’s become a little more relaxed around you, thankfully not jumping every time you enter a room that he’s in unexpectedly. He still tends to teleport away if you get too close or if anything scares him, but overall you’ve noticed he doesn’t do that as often any more now either.

He talks to you more as well, though most of the time it’s just to ask you if he’s allowed to do something. You still have to remind him at times that he doesn’t need to keep asking your permission for everything, since he’s not used to the idea of being permitted to do all these things himself.

Also, he let you touch him yesterday for a little bit for the first time, though you could tell he really didn’t want to, even though he had been the one to ask for it. He knows he needs contact with you to heal faster, but he’s very reluctant to get close to you. You’re pretty sure Blue had something to do with Muffin asking for the touch, since it’s obvious how concerned he is for his brother’s health. You had just rubbed his skull for a little bit, with Blue and Berry standing close to him for support. It couldn’t have lasted for more than a few seconds before you guessed he’d had enough and stopped. Muffin didn’t look too distressed but he definitely seemed... uncomfortable. He hadn’t asked you for any more contact since, but you’re definitely not going to go near him again without his consent.

You’re really grateful Blue and Berry are helping him every step of the way in getting adjusted to his new environment. Muffin is getting more confident around the house everyday with their help. You couldn’t ask for better assistance! 

The bitties are honestly so cute together as well! It’s been less than a week since you brought Muffin here and yet you know all three are inseparable already. 

They spend most of their time talking and joking together, though sometimes you’ll leave them a board game or a pack of cards to play with if they want them. Blue is always very eager to teach his brother the rules and aims of each game. Berry helps too by patiently going through each step slowly with Muffin until he understands. You can tell the Lil Bro bitty is confused by the games like the others once were, seeing how they all came from awful backgrounds where they never got to do anything for themselves and they didn’t get to do anything fun. You’re glad they at least have the opportunity to do it here.

You mostly leave the bitties alone to let them do their own things by themselves, just so Muffin can get used to the house and isn’t feeling constantly overwhelmed by your presence. Sure, you’d love to join in in whatever they’re doing, but if it makes Muffin feel a little safer without you being there, you’ll leave them alone for now. 

As long as they’re content, you don’t mind staying out of their way. You don’t have to constantly shadow them after all, they can mostly take care of themselves and if they do need something from you, they only have to ask and you’ll get it for them.

You can tell Muffin appreciates the space and the time he’s able to spend alone with Blue and Berry. Hopefully, it’s helping him to trust you a little more so you can improve your relationship with him. You don’t have to be best friends, you just don’t want him to feel terrified every time you walk into a room. 

That’s your main goal.

However, you’re facing a small dilemma at the moment and you feel as though it might but any trust you’ve built up with him to the test. You had promised the doctor the day you brought Muffin home that you’d bring him back in to the adoption center for a check up and to change his bandages.

You know he needs to get this done, but you’re really scared about stressing him or the other bitties out by taking him through the city to get to the doctor in the adoption center. You don’t want to have to drag Muffin anywhere without him feeling comfortable around you first. 

You’re doubtful he’ll want you carrying him around in your handbag and carrying him there in your hands or letting him ride on your shoulder is definitely out of the question currently.

Hmm...  
What else can you do...? 

Wait!  
How did you forget the doctor gave you her phone number!?

Maybe if you explained the situation to her, she’d come out here to give Muffin a check up? At least that way the whole process will be a bit more laid-back and you won’t have to worry about troubling the bitty more than necessary.

Now... where did you put that slip of paper again?

After some time searching, you eventually find it in your coat pocket. You grab your phone from where it was sitting on the table nearby and dial in the number. You bite your lip nervously while you wait for the doctor to answer. Hopefully, she’ll be able to come around and you won’t be forced to show up at the adoption center for an appointment. Blue and Berry were really distressed the last time you were there, so you can only imagine how the place might affect Muffin.

A short time later, someone picks up on the other end. “Hi, this is Dr. Martin speaking, specialist in all bitty treatment, care and support, how may I help you?”

“Uh... hi.” You start off awkwardly, as you always do when talking to people on the phone. “I came into the adoption center with an injured Lil Bro bitty from a fighting ring the other day that you healed and let me adopt. You gave me your number then.”

“Oh yes, I remember!” She remarks before you can continue you’re explanation on why you’re calling her. “Your name is... Y/N, right? How’s the Lil Bro doing in your care?”

“He’s doing alright, mainly trying to relax and recover after everything that’s happened.” You tell her, a little relieved she’s not giving out to you for not calling her earlier. “I think it’s going to take a while for him to trust me after all that’s been done to him, but he’s beginning to open up a little around me. My other two bitties are being really helpful with getting him settled and comfortable here. We’re... getting there slowly.”

“That’s great to hear! I presume you’re calling about booking a check up to change his bandages and ensure he’s healing properly?”

“Yeah, about that...” You begin, shuffling your feet nervously and hoping she’ll agree to this for the bitties sakes. “Would you be able to do a home visit for the check up instead of doing it at the center? I think it’ll be less stressful on the Lil Bro, since it won’t involve leaving the house and seeing anyone else besides you.”

“No problem, I can do that.” She assures you, understanding clear in her voice. “I often get called to people’s homes to help out with rescues. I get that they require a more... delicate approach after what they’ve been through. It’ll have to be later on in the day, if that’s ok with you... Actually, I think I’m free later this evening if you’re available? Around 5 perhaps?”

“Oh!” You weren’t expecting her to be able to call out to see Muffin so soon, but honestly today couldn’t be a better day for it! Because you have a day off work today, you’ll have plenty of time to clean the house and explain to the bitties about the doctor’s visit. You want them all to be fully prepared for her arrival, so they don’t freak out when she rings the door bell. It’ll be the first time another person comes into your home after all and you want them to understand the reason she’s coming over before she gets here.

“Yeah, that would be great! We don’t live too far from the center so it should only take you a few minutes to get here if you’re planning on driving.” Thankfully, you’re not forcing her to travel miles for your sakes. You’d feel even more awful about forcing her to come to your house for the check up if you were.

You tap your fingers off the kitchen countertop, trying to think of any other questions you need to ask her about the visit. “Do I need to do anything before your arrival to prepare for the examination?” 

There’s a slight pause at the other end. “As long as you have a table or some other hard surface that he can stand on during it, there shouldn’t be anything else you’d need to arrange. I’ll make sure to bring most of my medical supplies, so no need to worry about that sort of thing.” She responds reassuringly, helping to put your worried mind at ease. 

“Perfect. Thank you so much for doing this. I really appreciate it and I’m sure Muffin will as well.”

“Muffin? Is that the Lil Bros’ name?” She asks, happiness evident in her tone. “How cute! I’ll make sure he feels safe and relaxed during the check up. Please assure him that if I say or do something that makes him anxious, he’s free to tell me to back off or we can even end the examination entirely if need be, that’s not a problem.”

“I’ll let him know.” You tell her before giving her your home address and your phone number, just in case she needs to make any change in plans if there’s any emergencies. 

“See you at five then?”

Your finger hovers slightly over the end call button about to hang up when she suddenly calls out to you again.

“Wait, Y/N! Are you still there? I should probably mention one more important thing to you.”

“I’m still here.” You confirm, making her sigh with relief.

“Good. So uh... have you told Muffin about the check up yet?”

“No, I was planning on doing so after this call ended. Why, should I not be doing that?” You’re not really comfortable with the idea of keeping this a secret from the bitties until the last minute, so you hope she doesn’t ask you to.

“Well you do definitely need to tell him about me and the reason I’ll be visiting, but um... we’ve noticed that many bitties involved in the rings often have PTSD symptoms involving some fake doctor that their previous owners used to bring them to. All of them are terrified of people with my profession because of it.” 

You can hear the anger evident in her voice directed at this man who has apparently traumatized so many bitties. 

You feel your grip tightening on the phone while you listen attentively to every word as she continues. “You see, to avoid hard questions and the police, humans involved in the rings seem to bring their bitties to one man for cheap, secretive medical examinations. He _claims_ to be a doctor specializing in bitty care to the bitties owners, but he really most likely has no medical experience with _any_ living creature whatsoever. His treatments are... harsh to say the least because of his inexperience and some of the bitties we’ve rescued have been permanently scarred in both physical and mental ways because of him.”

“That’s... awful.” You say, absolutely appalled by what you’ve just heard. Why would anyone do such a thing to a harmless bitty? Is he just doing it for the money? You feel sick just thinking about it...

The doctor hums in agreement to your previous statement. “It is. We find that the mere mention of the word ‘doctor’ can trigger a panic attack in these bitties, so you might want to be a little cautious about what you say to him about my visit. Each bitty will obviously take the news differently. Try to be honest with him, but don’t give him a panic attack either. And of course, if you need to contact me, please by all means do.”

“I understand. I’ll be careful.”

“Great. If you have any other problems or questions before the check-up later, you’re free to drop me a text or call and I’ll be sure to get back to you. I’ll see you and the bitties at five.”

You thank her once again for the help before you both say your goodbyes and hang up.

You glance at the time displayed on your phone screen. 11:06 a.m. Plenty of time to tidy up and get ready for this evening then, but first things first, you need to tell Blue, Berry and Muffin about the visit.

You’re really nervous about how they’ll react to the news that you’ll be letting someone else into the house, even if it’ll only be for a short while. Hopefully, you can reassure them that she won’t try to hurt them or take them away from here. 

You make your way upstairs and choose to stand just outside your bedroom, where the three bitties are organizing furniture and decorating their bitty house. You had given them paints to use inside on the inside or outside walls if they wished to add their own more personal touches to the house as well.

“Hey guys, I’m coming into the room.” You announce just before you enter it. It does feel weird doing this while going into your own bedroom, but if it makes Rust less jumpy around you, you’d do it.

“Oh, Y/N! Perfect timing! We just finished getting everything fully sorted in the house!” Blue says as he sticks his skull around the side of the door and gives a small wave in greeting.

“Wow, that was pretty quick!” You comment, surprised it’s fully complete already. They’d only been up here an hour, but somehow had managed to decorate the inside of their little house to be entirely to their liking in that time. You know it has multiple rooms, so it must have taken quite a lot of hard-work to finish it all so soon.

“Mmm.” Blue hums in agreement. “Although we would have been quicker if a _certain somebody_ actually tried to help me and Berry a bit more, instead of trying to sleep on the couch like a lazybones.”

You hear someone snicker from inside the house and a moment later, Muffin appears just beside Blue at the door, a wide grin plastered on his face.

“Aw, c’mon Blue, I helped a little, didn’t I? I just wasn’t _table_ to go on after a while, that’s all. With the way you’re speaking, you’ll make her think I don’t _chair_ about you at all.”

You swear you see Blue’s right socket twitch in annoyance. He gives Muffin a dirty look. “Really brother? I thought you said there wouldn’t be anymore puns today. I heard enough in the last hour alone to last me a lifetime.”

The Lil Bro bitty gives him a friendly nudge. “I know you love them really, in fact, you can even say that you-“

“DON’T FINISH THAT SENTENCE!”

“A _door_ e them!”

“AAAHHHHH! WHY DO I PUT UP WITH THIS!” Blue screams into his hands. You just laugh at their antics while Muffin chuckles at his brother’s overreaction.

All the commotion leads Berry to walk out of the bitty house too. You notice that the Cherry has a small smear of red paint on his face, just above his nose ridge. The sight makes you smirk a little.

“Hey Berry. You got a little something there.” You point to your own face, indicating where the paint is on his skull.

“Is it paint?” He questions and you nod. Berry turns a bright shade of red in embarrassment, close to the color of paint already on his skull. “I thought I got it all off!” He huffs before running back inside the bitty house, presumably to wipe the rest of it off.

While you wait for Berry’s return, you turn your attention back to the other two bitties. “I know you said you were happy with everything you got, but are you _sure_ you don’t need anything else for your home?” 

After learning a little about their pasts, you just really want them to have the best. You’re still a little low on money and you _did_ promise Blue you wouldn’t spend anymore on them and start thinking more about yourself BUT, if they do want something else you’re not going to say no...

“Y/n...” Blue is giving you a frustrated look.

You put your hands up in surrender. “Ok, ok, fine. I won’t ask again.”

“Good.” He folds his arms and stares up at you, his foot tapping against the ground in slight frustration. “Like we keep saying, we don’t need you to keep buying us so many things. It’s not that we don’t appreciate it, but we’re grateful enough for what we already have. You already provide us with all our needs to survive and you allow us to make our own decisions, which is far better than... the other... humans... we’ve been around...” 

His eyelights waver in brightness and for a second, Blue seems to be frozen in some kind of trance, a haunted expression on his face. You wonder if he’s thinking about some bad memory and you frown in sadness.

Just as you’re about to question if he’s alright, Blue suddenly blinks and his eyelights return to normal. He attempts to act as though he didn’t just zone out after mentioning other humans by changing the subject. “So, Y/N! Do you have any exciting plans for today? It is your day off after all!”

You really don’t want to pressurize Blue to talk about whatever is bothering him since it’s obvious he doesn’t want to discuss it, but you can’t help but feel concerned about him. Heck, you’re concerned for all of them! You really need to look up bitty counseling and see what you can do to help them cope and heal from their previous traumas.

But that can be done later...

First, you need to prepare for the doctors visit.

“I’ll wait for Berry to come back out to explain, since it’s important I tell all three of you what will be happening later today.”

“No need, I’m here now.” Berry announces as he emerges from the bitty house a moment later, paint no longer anywhere on his skull. 

“That’s great. Um...” You pause, trying to think of a good way to phrase what you want to say next. “So the plan is that I’ll be tidying up some of the house today, because we’re...uh... expecting a visitor.”

All the bitties tense a little.

“Someone’s... visiting the house today?” Blue questions, sounding unsure and less confident all of a sudden.

“Yeah...” You sit down cross-legged on your bed, guessing this will be a long explanation and that you’d rather be sitting down during it. 

Muffin teleports Blue and Berry up there a moment later so the three are sitting near your feet. Five eyelights stare up at you, waiting patiently for an explanation.

You wring your hands together anxiously while you explain. “I don’t want to hide anything from you three, so I’m going to be honest with you all about who’s visiting. It’s... someone who works at the bitty adoption center in the city.”

You wince at each of the bitties individual reactions to the announcement. Muffin has his one working eye socket narrowed angrily at you, but looking closer you also see the tiniest hint of betrayal evident on his face. There are small drops of sweat now on Blue’s skull and his skull looking even paler than usual somehow. Berry is clutching his hand like a lifeline and is looking absolutely horrified.

“Please, before you come to any conclusions, let me explain!” You plead desperately, afraid that you might have just lost all the trust you earned from the bitties. “I promise there’s a good reason why they’re coming over. None of you are being taken back to the adoption center. I would _never_ allow that to happen.”

Muffin and Berry both look expectantly towards Blue to see what his reaction will be. It’s clear they want the Baby Blue to decide if they should listen to you or not and are waiting on his decision.

He’s deep in thought for about a minute before looking at the two other bitties then back up at you. “I trust you, Y/N. I don’t understand yet why someone from the center is coming over, but I’m willing to listen to the reason. We all are.”

You let out a breath you didn’t even realize you were holding. You’d honestly thought there was a small possibility they wouldn’t listen and would hide from you, thinking you were planning to abandon them. Thankfully, Blue has obviously spent enough time with you to know you wouldn’t do that.

“Thanks, you guys. I would never do this if it wasn’t necessary, but I made a promise to someone when I rescued Muffin that I’d bring him back to the adoption center to get his bandages changed and so they can see how he’s healing. But knowing how unsettling you all find it there, I decided to ring the lady I met that day and asked if she could come do it here instead. She’s the one who healed and bandaged you up when I found you, Muffin.”

The Lil Bro bitty gives you a small nod to show that he’s listening to you, but it’s evident he’s quite frightened at the idea that this visit is a check up meant for him. His hands are currently hidden in his hoodie’s pocket, but you can still tell they’re shaking right now.

You rub your arm nervously as you watch him, wondering what else you can say to put his mind at ease.

“Her visit won’t last long and she wants me to assure you that if you become uncomfortable, you’re allowed to back out of the check up at anytime.” You inform him with a gentle smile.

“I know this must be hard, because you don’t trust humans to go near you and she’ll need to touch you for the examination, but we’ll all be here for you and hey...” You give him a mischievous grin. “...even if you decide to back out of it, we’ll still have some of that honeycomb ice-cream you enjoy oh so much in the freezer for later... if you want some.”

He noticeably perks up at that and you can’t help but let out a giggle at his reaction. “Guess we know what’s for dessert again tonight!”

Blue scoffs. “Muffin would choose to eat that ice-cream for _dinner_ if you gave him the option, Y/N. You really shouldn’t be encouraging his addiction for all things that are sweet! It’s not healthy! ...” He looks away to the side before continuing. “But I suppose we can make an exception today, since it is your day off work, Y/N.” 

Muffin beams at his brother as he gives in, though Blue is refusing to meet his gaze. You know this is Blue’s roundabout way of allowing his brother to choose his favorite dessert while not entirely agreeing to his unhealthy habits. It’s pretty obvious to you that Blue struggles to say no to both his brother and Berry at times. He seems happiest when they’re content, never wanting to give them a reason to be unhappy, but he doesn’t want to encourage this type of thing either. 

“Alright, we’ll definitely get some more later. ... Hey, Muffin?” The Lil Bro bitty gives you his full attention again. “Do you think you’ll be ok to do the check up today? Even if you don’t want to do it, I promise we can still have the ice-cream. If you feel too stressed, we can always try to schedule the appointments for another day this week or-“

“No, it’s fine. I can do it today. I’ll... I’ll be okay. I have to get these bandages off at some stage, right? I’d prefer to get it over with sooner rather than later.” He appears to be confident with this decision, so you see no reason to question it further.

You tap your chin in thought. “Well we have a few hours before she gets here... Do you all want to do something together while I tidy the house? I could always bring one of my old gaming consoles down from the attic for you to try out?” 

You really miss having the free time to play video games. Maybe when you recovered from your current money crisis, you’d have time for hobbies again? You know you still have quite the ways to go before that though, so you think it will be nice to share that hobby with others and let them enjoy something you love while you’re unable to do so.

“W-Won’t it be easier for you if w-we help though, Y/N?” Berry asks you.

“Well yeah...” You admit. “But I thought it would be nice for you all to spend some quality time together doing something enjoyable, so you can take your mind off the visit for a while.”

“No, we’ll help.” Muffin speaks up, surprising you a little. “I don’t think anything will be able to distract my thoughts of this anyway.”

You hide a grimace at the Lil Bro’s slightly distressed sounding tone of voice. “If you’re all ok with it, then yes of course you can help.”

You get up from your bed and walk towards the bedroom door, motioning for the bitties to follow you.

“Let’s start downstairs then, shall we?”

* * *

It had taken them a while, but at least now the house is in a reasonable enough state to have guests over in Blue’s opinion.

The human from the adoption center should be arriving any minute, so he had insisted to be allowed to ride on your shoulder when you go open the door. He wants to see just who they’ll be inviting into their home before she takes a step inside. If she appears like she’ll be a threat to his family, then he won’t hesitate to tell her to get lost. He doesn’t want anything bad happening to any of the others because he was too weak to deal with her.

You seem to trust this woman though, so he supposes he’ll have to give her a small chance to prove herself.

“Blue?” He jumps a little at your worried call. “You alright sitting there? Are you sure you don’t want to wait in the living room with Berry and Muffin?”

He shakes his head at the offer. “I’m fine here, Y/N. I’d rather be with you when you go to welcome her in.”

You give him another concerned look out of the corner of your eye, appearing like you want to say something to him before you obviously think better of it and you just respond with. “If you’re sure.”

“Positive.” He remarks, trying to give you a smile that will reassure you he’s feeling okay.

You return the gesture with a grin of your own, just before the doorbell rings and startles the two of you. The noise makes you jerk, which in turn drives him to grip your shoulder tighter with fear, his eye sockets wide and alert, searching the room for any signs of danger.

“Wow, well that just frightened the life out of me. Sorry about that, Blue.” You let out an awkward laugh at your reaction afterwards, obviously finding it funny how easily spooked you had gotten over the sound. “Guess we better answer the door then, huh?”

Blue gives you a determined nod of his skull. He’s not going to back down now. 

You reach the front door and unlock it, immediately greeting the lady from the center with a cheerful smile on your face once it’s been opened. Blue takes a moment to study her as the two of you talk for a minute, trying to determine if she’s dangerous to the household or not. She appears to be friendly right now, but he knows from experience that looks can be _very_ deceiving. 

Blue tenses when he’s spotted by the visitor, though he manages to keep eye contact with her. “Oh! I see one of your bitties came out here with you as well to check me out.” She lets out a small laugh. “Definitely isn’t the first time I’ve been inspected by a protective bitty at somebody’s door and it certainly won’t be the last.” She jokes with a knowing grin on her face.

The small skeletons skull flushes a bright baby blue in embarrassment. She’d known exactly what he had been doing, glaring at her like that, yet she doesn’t even seem too bothered by it. He feels mortified that she caught him in the act like that.

“This is Blue.” You introduce him while his skull is still glowing, seeing as though he’s struggling to speak at the moment. “He’s another one of the bitties I took in a while back.”

“Nice to meet you, Blue.” The lady politely greets him. “I’m Ava and I work in the bitty adoption center in the city, but I’m sure Y/N already told you that. I’m just going to be doing a small check up on the Lil Bro that she rescued the other day, presuming everyone in the house is ok with that.”

Blue takes a quick glance at your face to see how you’re holding up talking to her. You appear to be somewhat relaxed in her presence, not uptight or nervous like you are around most other humans. Perhaps it’s because you know she also seems to care about bitties the same way you do, so you can relate to and respect that?

He turns back to their guest and gives her a small nod, seeing that you’re comfortable enough around her. He’ll watch her closely when she’s near his brother, but he’s certain she won’t try to do anything when you’re in the room. And if she does, he’ll make her wish she _never_ entered their home.

“Come on in then and I’ll show you where the other two bitties are waiting.” You usher her inside the house and after closing the front door, you lead her to the living room where Berry and Muffin are waiting on the coffee table.

Blue notices that both of them appear to be very wary of their visitor. Their stances are stiff and rigid, watching her movements carefully as she enters the room behind you. His brother looks like he’d rather be anywhere else right now. He can understand why...

“Berry, Muffin.” You address the bitties on the table, who look up at you when you call their names out. “This is Ava and she’s going to be the one examining Muffin today.”

“H-hello.” Berry greets shakily, trying to be brave in front of her, but still giving her a anxious look.

Muffin remains silent, staying close by to Berry’s side. Blue can't tell if he's doing this to comfort himself or the smaller bitty. Perhaps it’s a bit of both?

“Pleased to meet you, Berry and it’s great to see you awake, Muffin. Last time I saw you at the adoption center, I wasn’t sure how long it would take for you to wake up.”

You and Ava both make your way over to the sofa and sit down. Blue climbs down from your shoulder and hops on to the coffee table, joining Berry and Muffin there.

“I have to admit I was nervous about letting Y/N adopt you just like that, but she was just so determined to help I couldn’t say no.” Ava tells him and Blue can understand why. You can be pretty stubborn when you want to be...

“It looks like you’re doing much better under her care then if you had been stuck in the adoption center with the other rescues.”

“Are there many other rescues?” You perk up with a curious, yet concerned expression on your face.

Ava lets out a long sigh, her smile dropping for the first time since arriving at the house. “Yeah, there are and more are arriving at the center every day. Some are being abused by their owners badly enough that concerned neighbors notice and report them to us out of sympathy for the bitty, while others like Muffin are being rescued from the rings. It’s hard to keep up with the increasing numbers, but at least this way we’re able to help the bitties who need us.”

She turns to you. “Actually Y/N, thanks to the information you gave the police, we’ve been able to locate some of the ringleaders of the fights, arrest them and save their bitties. We haven’t located all of the ones involved yet, but it’s an amazing start, so thank you. We’ve been able to help so many bitties so far thanks to your cooperation.”

”That’s fantastic news! I’m so happy to hear I could at least do that much for them.” You tell her, looking thrilled that you contributed to their rescue from the rings. 

Blue is also pleased to hear those bitties will be able to live a better life from now on, like him and Muffin. All of them deserve a second chance in his opinion, no matter how bad their pasts are. They had been forced to fight after all.

“It’ll be a long recovery, but I’m sure in time we’ll find wonderful homes for all of them.” Ava says confidently, interrupting Blue’s thoughts. “We always make sure they end up with better people that we ensure will actually care for them and keep in touch so they won’t end up in a terrible situation ever again. I’m happy Muffin looks like he’s being well looked after by Blue and Berry and you of course, Y/N.”

She reaches for her bag then, but chooses to look at Muffin as she asks. “Shall I start the check-up now, Muffin or do you need a bit more time to get used to my presence? I’ll make sure to tell you everything I plan on doing and what every piece of equipment I use is for and if you don’t want to go ahead with something, please let me know and we can skip that part. So are you up for it?”

Muffin looks down at his feet for a moment, thinking it over. She really seems to care about bitties if everything she said is true and according to you... she did save his life. He can give her a little bit of his trust, he supposes.

“I w-want to do it now.” He didn’t mean to stutter like that, but his nerves are getting the better of him. Before she can question his decision, he answers in a more confident tone. “I’m ready.”

“Excellent. We’ll begin with some small tests before I remove the bandages if you’re okay with that?”

“Yeah, just... let me know if you’re about to touch me... please.” He can’t promise he won’t lash out at her if she does so without telling him first.

“Of course I will, there’s no need to worry about that.”

Muffin is surprised that she did end up keeping her word. Many of the things that she wanted to check out didn’t require him to be touched, which he was grateful for. She could measure his soul stats and magic levels with a machine she brought in with her and two of the other tests only required him to summon any construct and use blue magic on a number of small household items. Everything seems fine with him, but apparently his magic levels right now are lower than the average Lil Bro bitty. This is only because his body is still recovering from having it cut off so long. She said it should hopefully reach normal levels within another week.

She talked to all of them while she examined him, telling them how he was getting on and just making general conversation with them all. He found it oddly reassuring that she seemed so open and willing to tell him everything she was planning on doing before she’d do it, just to make sure he was ok with it. It feels strange that he gets a choice in the matter, even after spending a while in this house where he’s allowed to do anything he wants. He still feels like he’s going to be ordered to do something any minute and it’ll go back to the way it was before you found him. He hopes it never goes back to that.

The Lil Bro takes a quick glance at his brother, who he’s sure hasn’t taken his eye sockets off their visitor since her arrival. He’d make it appear like he was looking elsewhere, but Muffin knew well he was watching her closely always. He appreciates his brother’s concerns, knowing just how much he cares for him by doing this. If Blue or even Berry was the one being examined, he knows he’d do the same for them.

“You appear to be making a fantastic recovery Muffin, considering everything you’ve gone through in the past.” Ava announces after she’s finished the first part of the examination. “I just need to change your bandages and then I’ll be finished here. We’ll start with the ones on your arms and legs and then end with the ones on your skull... since I’m guessing those are the ones you’ll be most anxious to get removed. Does that sound ok to you?”

Muffin grimaces a small bit. He knew this part was coming, yet he still feels unprepared for it. There’s so many ways this can go wrong. What if you’re disgusted by the damage you see and hate him for it, deciding you don’t want him living here after all? Will Berry be scared by what he sees? ~~And what if Blue can’t stand to look at his face anymore, since it’s a painful reminder of their past?~~

Muffin feels something grab his hand and flinches away, before realizing a moment later that Blue is the one who is firmly grasping it. 

He squeezes it gently in reassurance. “I’m here for you, brother. I’ll stay by your side this time and I’ll make sure nothing bad happens.” Blue gives him a knowing look. “No matter how terrible your scars may look, you’re stuck with me, you numbskull. I’m not going anywhere.” His tone is affectionate yet teasing, making Muffin smirk. He’s tempted to comment on the pun his brother just made, but finds he really doesn’t want to ruin this moment by doing so.

After another few seconds, he turns back to Ava and extends his left arm towards her, a determined expression on his face. “I’m ready now.”

“Alright, let me know if you need me to back off.” She slowly brings her hands closer to his arm and begins to carefully unwrap the bandages. He can’t help but wince at her close proximity, but Blue being right beside him and holding his hand is helping him stay calm enough that he won’t back away or try to attack her.

“This arm is healing up nicely by the looks of it.” She tells him after it’s fully unwrapped from the bandages. It doesn’t look nearly as scarred as he remembers it looking, which makes him feel pleasantly surprised. “Lots of the cracks and scrapes have disappeared thanks to the liquid monster candy I gave you when you were out. Hopefully the other arm is doing just as well.”

He’s amazed that his right arm also doesn’t look too badly damaged when he’s able to inspect it. The monster candy has obviously done wonders for his bones.

Their visitor checks it over for a little while, writing some notes down for herself before addressing him again. “I don’t think I need to replace the bandages on your arms actually. I’d say they’re healed enough without them. I’ll need you to sit down on the table while I do your legs, if that’s alright with you of course, Muffin?”

“Yeah, that’s fine.” He promptly does as he’s asked and Blue joins him not even a second later. Muffin blinks at him gratefully. His brother is the coolest bitty there is!

Ava unwraps the left leg from the bandages first. There’s still a noticeable crack in his fibula from an injury he sustained a while back, but apart from that there’s only a few small scrapes left.

“I’ll wrap this one up again just to be safe, but the fracture should heal with a bit more time.”

She grabs the bandage wrap from her bag and uses it to cover up the crack again, before moving on to the other leg.

“This one seems to be doing fine. There’s only some small scars left, so I’ll leave it as it is.”

She pauses for a moment before giving Muffin an apologetic look. “It’s time for me to look at your eye now I’m afraid... I know my fingers brushing against the back of your skull will be uncomfortable for you, but if you stay as still as you can, I’ll be able to get it done faster.”

Muffin nods, closing his eye sockets tightly. “Just get it over with please.” 

He winces as he feels the bandages being unwrapped from around his skull and his damaged eye socket becomes visible for everyone else in the room to see. He expects to see some repulsion or horror in their faces at the sight of his injury. Instead, nobody seems to bat an eyelid or eye socket at it.

“H-How does it look, bro?” He anxiously asks Blue, scared the other will turn away from him now that he’s making direct eye contact with him. 

But his brother doesn’t move his gaze away. “Well I can see exactly where you were hit in your socket, but you look fine. I’m not grossed out by the damage at all if that’s what you’re worried about. You should know that nothing will ever make me turn my back on you again, brother. I won’t hate you or be disgusted by something that you have no control over.”

“I d-don’t think it looks too b-bad either. You’re still the same bitty, even if you have s-some scars.” Berry adds, joining the two of them at their sides.

“It’s looking much better now then when I first found you, Muffin. You’re doing amazingly.” You beam at him while giving a thumbs up.

Muffin let’s out a small sigh of relief. He’s thankful that you, Blue and Berry are taking this so well.

“Do you want to see it yourself?” Ava inquires. “I’m pretty sure I have a mirror in my bag. Here.” 

She hands him a small travel size mirror. Muffin holds it in his hands for a few seconds before hesitantly lifting it up to look at his reflection.

Honestly, he expected the injury would look much worse than this. There’s a diamond shaped hole in the center of his eye socket that has four small cracks running diagonally from the hole to different sides of his skull, with two on the left side and the other two on the right. They appear to be on the mend and if he looks closely, Muffin can see where some of the other cracks that are now healed over were before.

Hovering his phalanges over his socket, he decides to risk touching it to see how it feels. He lets out a hiss through his teeth and immediately pulls his hand away after just placing a little pressure on the crack. Stars, it’s painful!

Ava watches him do this with a thoughtful expression on her face. “Hmm, I’d say it still needs another few weeks in bandages to heal properly. I’ll give you a small piece of monster candy for now to help with the pain before I cover your socket up again, ok?

“Y-Yeah.” Muffin answers shakily, still a little startled by how much that had hurt him.

Seeing how she hadn’t done anything to make him suspicious of her yet, Muffin takes the tiny piece of candy she gives him without too much fuss. He’s seen enough fake monster candy in his time in the rings to know when he’s looking at the real deal again. ~~And at least this one isn’t getting forcefully shoved down his throat without his consent.~~

Even though his eye socket doesn’t look half as bad as he thought it would, Muffin still feels slightly relieved when it’s covered up once more. He’s not quite ready to face his own reflection again just yet...

“Well, I think that just about covers everything.” Ava states, gathering her things off the coffee table and packing them back into her bag. “You’re doing wonderfully so far, Muffin. I’m sure you’ll be back to full strength in no time at all.”

She pauses as she looks off to the side in thought, her demeanor changing slightly as she turns back to the Lil Bro bitty. “Um... so how are you feeling at the moment, Muffin? Are you happy here with Y/n, Blue and Berry.”

He’s gives her a puzzled look, confused about why she’s suddenly asked this question out of nowhere. Does he appear unhappy to her?

“Yeah, I’m good. Y/n, Blue and Berry are doing their best to look after me and are helping me get used to all these new changes. I couldn’t ask for any better.” He confidently answers with a small smile, making her grin.

“That’s great. I just had to ask you so I could be extra sure you’re comfortable here.” She explains, grabbing her bag and standing up. “I’ll need to see you again in another week or two as a follow up, if that’s ok with you?” 

He firmly nods in agreement, seeing that today’s check up hadn’t actually been too bad for him. At least next time he’ll know what to expect from her visit. 

“I’ll make sure to organize it with Y/n on a later date.”

You promise to give her a call some time next week to set it up.

Berry and Blue climb onto your shoulders before you stand up to lead her out of the house. Muffin opts to take a few small teleports around the rooms to get to the front door.

“I seriously can’t thank you enough for coming out here for us.” You say, opening the door for her. “I’m sure it would’ve been a little more chaotic if we had to go to the center.”

She waves you off. “Please, there’s really no need to thank me. I’m just doing my job after all. Feel free to call me any time if you have other bitty queries or if there’s an emergency.”

She calls out to each of them as she begins walking down the pavement, waving back at them as she goes. “Bye Y/n, Blue, Berry and Muffin. I’ll see you again soon! Take care of yourselves!”

Each of you say your goodbyes before you shut the door again. 

You’re glad that went well and all three bitties were fine in Ava’s presence. At least that’s one other human they can sort of trust.

“I think that went pretty well.” You comment as you head into the kitchen with the bitties, aiming to begin making preparations for dinner. “What did you guys think of our visitor then?”

“She seemed nice.” Berry tells you happily, climbing down from your shoulder onto the countertop where Muffin is already standing there waiting for the three of you.

“She wasn’t too bad.” Blue remarks. “At least she appears to care about bitties and tries to help those of us who end up with bad humans.”

“I’m glad you’re all not mad at me for inviting her here then. I was afraid you would be...” You rub the back of your head awkwardly, still feeling guilty for upsetting them earlier.

Muffin steps forward, shaking his skull. “Nah, we’re not angry at you, Y/n. You did it for me after all. I was going to have to see what I looked like under my bandages sooner or later anyways. I’m just happy it’s over with now.”

You give him a sad smile. “I know it must be hard for you to see that, Muffin, but I promise the scar on your face isn’t going to change our perceptions of you. We all know that you’re a fantastic, brave and smart bitty on the inside.”

The Lil Bro turns away and you wonder for a second if you’ve said something that might’ve offended him. But then you notice that there’s an orange glow coming from his skull and you grin from ear to ear. Aw, he’s blushing from embarrassment like the others do! So adorable!

Blue chooses that moment to tackle his brother affectionately in a hug and Berry joins the cuddle pile a moment later, making all of you giggle.

You watch on joyfully, just delighted that they’re all so happy right now. 

You definitely don’t expect Muffin to break away from the group a minute later, balling his hands into fists and gazing up at you. It appears that he really wants to ask you something, but is unsure if he should ask or not.

“Do you need something, Muffin?”

He clenches and unclenches his fists a few times, trying to build up his courage before he finally asks. “Y/n... Do you... want a hug too?”

Your mouth goes agape and you’re left speechless, staring at the bitty for a moment in shock before answering. “I w-would love one, b-but are you sure, Muffin? You don’t h-have to-”

“No, I want to do this. It’s unfair not to include you. You’re part of this family too after all.” He states with no hesitation, clearly meaning every word.

You honestly feel like crying tears of joy. Muffin sees you as part of the family too now! He’s willing to trust you!

“Aw Muffin, that is so sweet of you to say, thank you.” He blushes a little again, which makes you giggle. “I’ll bend down next to the countertop and you can approach me in your own time if you want to. I won’t touch you back unless you give me permission.”

Berry immediately rushes over once you’re in position and hugs your shoulder. You rub his back affectionately with your finger for a moment before turning your attention back to the other two bitties.

Blue gently grips his brother’s hand as they walk over to you. The smaller of the two bitties chooses to cuddle your other shoulder, leaving space beside him for Muffin to join.

You hold your breath, waiting to see what the Lil Bro bitty will do. It doesn’t take him long to join his brother hugging you and you internally melt from the affection.

You feel like the luckiest person alive right now, considering you’re being hugged by the three most awesome bitties ever and they all see you as part of their family!

It honestly feels like years ago since you last felt lonely, despite the bitties only being here two months at max.

Sure, you’re helping them out by caring for them, but they’re also helping you get through everyday life that before just seemed so dull and monotonous. 

You’re extremely grateful for their presence.

Closing your eyes, you let out a blissful sigh. You wouldn’t trade this moment for anything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You’re a cute, happy family now! Yay!
> 
> So I have a [tumblr](http://warriorstale001.tumblr.com/) if anyone is interested where I’ll answer any of your questions about my fics (or if you want to ask the bitties something I can do that too) and just generally chat about myself and the games I’ve been playing (like Among Us :/) or what I've been up to. Feel free to nag me for a new update for bittybones there, haha! It’s http://warriorstale001.tumblr.com if you want to copy it in to your browser instead of clicking the link. I hope to draw some digital art there one day, but I'm waiting for my laptop to mend right now :/.
> 
> Just want to say you guys are seriously insane with the amount of kudos, subs and bookmarks you’re leaving. This story really doesn’t deserve over 300 kudos, but here we are.
> 
> Love all my readers so much <3.
> 
> I'm not entirely sure when I'll be able to get the next chapter of this out, but hopefully it won't be another four months ^^'.
> 
> Hope you have an awesome day everybody (and please leave a comment if you liked it, they inspire me to keep writing)
> 
> Thanks (*´˘`*)♡.

**Author's Note:**

> Second part of this series - [**Bittybones In Need Of Hope**](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23726182) can be read by clicking the link.
> 
> My other works and bookmarks [ here](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Warriorstale001) :3  
>    
> Here's my [tumblr](http://warriorstale001.tumblr.com/) too if you're interested!
> 
> Currently I write **Bittybones** and **Babybones** stories that are a mixture of **tooth-rotting fluff** and some **heavy angst**!
> 
> Also check out the works inspired by this one too, they’re by amazing authors and I love their works!
> 
> If you enjoyed please leave a kudos or comment down below. I'd love to hear from ye. Seriously a comment will make my day and I'll try my best respond to everyone as soon as possible!
> 
> February 12th 2021: Hi! So it's been a while since I updated huh... just wanted to let ye know I'm doing ok and still updating my other works as much as I'm able to at the moment. To those of you wondering why I still haven't updated this work yet, let me tell you that I really want to, but as I left this fic off at such a good break point I'm going to continue to leave it like this for a little longer since you're not left on a cliffhanger like most of my other works rn. I'm not ready to move on to the next arc yet and I know I won't be for a while... I'm still amazed to this day that you all are giving me so much love for this fic and that I just passed the 400 kudos mark. Just know that despite what other authors say about going on hiatus that they never return from that I am not one of them. I intend to finish what I started... even if it takes me years :P. I know I've already pushed the companion fic to this story twice already, but _something that happens in Bittybones in Need Of Hope wil become important in this story later on!_ I understand that most readers like the whole reader insert thing and the fact that the second story is not a reader insert is probably putting people off it, but... can you ignore that just for this one fic pls :3? It's coming to its climax right about now as well so you won't have to worry about me taking forever to update it lol. I honestly think its ten times better written than this fic if I'm being honest haha ^^'. Anyways I mostly just wanted to thank you for being patient and for reading this once again! You're all awesome and I appreciate your support.
> 
> Until the next update.  
> ( • ̀ω•́ )✧

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Center Edgy Bitty](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23279599) by [shiftingfootsteps](https://archiveofourown.org/users/shiftingfootsteps/pseuds/shiftingfootsteps)
  * [The Bitty Life](https://archiveofourown.org/works/23920351) by [Nighthowler252](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nighthowler252/pseuds/Nighthowler252)




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